Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-11
Lewis Files Final Droft
Of Revised Zoning Code

Itermining whether it was a mon
conforming structure" Origi-
lnally, Mr.. Lewis proposed that
yard dimensions and other fac
tors be figured. This change. he
said. would free the large num-
Der of existing structures
from any difficulties with respect
to alterations"
Submission of Mr.. Lewis final
report" virtually concludes the
New York consultants' contract
obligations in the coming revi-
sion. All he must do now is pro-
vide printed copies of his recon-
Imendations and maps.
These copies, the Commits
sioners said. won't be available
for public distribution until early
February. The proposed maps,
and a printers galley-proof copy
of the proposals, however. may
be seen during the next few
months at the District Zoning
Office. Room 2. old District Build
ing. Fourteenth street and Penn
sylvania avenue NV.
After the printed copies are
distributed, the public will be
given a number of weeks to study
the provisions.
In May or June, officials said,
the public will get its chance to
sound of either for or against
the proposals at public hearings
to be held by the District Zon-
ing Commission.
The coming commission then
will act on adoption Of the new
coming code and maps, after
making such revisions as it de-
sires after the hearings.
Advance copies of the pro-
posals have been distributed
only to the press and to the
Citizens zoning Advisory Com
|mittee, headed by banker Thomas
]. Groom.
627 Requests Studied
Mr.. Lewis said he received q
total Of 627 requests from the
public for changes in his earlier
proposals.
Some. he said, indicated only
"a desire to block the whole re-
zoning program" but others
were valid and constructive and
have been adopted"
In still others, however, the
C onsultant said, suggested
changes would have involved
compromise on fundamental is
sues which could not be made. 4"
Among large areas of the city
singled out for extensive change
in the coming Mr.. Lewis first
proposed are the Georgetown
waterfront and the Tenley Circle
section.
The consultant initially pro-
posed a kind of coming for the
Georgetown waterfront which
would have made many of its
commercial businesses mon
conforming" and subject to
eventual removal. His final draft,
Mr.. Lewis said, places these BUSH
Inesses in the light manufactur-
ing" coming district. require
ments of which most of the BUSH
nesses can meet. In any event,
however, the businesses would
not be threatened with removal,
since there is no provision for a
termination of "non-conforming'
uses.
Tenley Circle Report
In the Tenley Circle area at
Wisconsin and Nebraska avenues
NV. Mr.. Lewis originally pro-
posed new coming which would
have permitted many types of
commercial development to move
into the residential area. The
move drew one Of the bitterest
concerted protests. In the final
report. Mr.. Lewis retains resi-
Dental coming in the area, ex-
cept where commercial develop
ment already exists.
On another controversial point,
Mr.. Lewis said, his final report
permits far more strip COM
mercial coming" along major
streets than at first proposed. A
major example is Fourteenth
street NV. between U and r.
wing streets.
In addition to the regulations
and maps. the final report sug-
gests major administrative re-
forms in coming operations, and
a proposed formula for the even
tual removal of "non-conform-
ing uses" 1t also contains q
lengthy explanation Of the policy
decisions reflected in the new
coming recommendations.