Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-12
.NCPC Joins
Foes Of Lewis
zoning Plan
Commission Hits
Rigid Controls on
Downtown BUILDING
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE


Commission has added its weight
against Zoning Consultant Har-
old M. Lewis's initial proposals
for immediate, rigid controls on
new development in downtown
Washington.
In addition, the planners OPP
posed. "at this time" Mr.. Lewis's
proposal that "nonconforming
uses" - buildings that do not
comply with new coming regula-
tions-should be forced to dis
continue use after set periods
of years.
In a seven-page report, the
planners yesterday praised a
number of Mr.. Lewis's ideas for
a new city-wide coming code. But
they criticized others and fatty
backed away from his contro-
versial downtown plans.
Their action came in the wake
of disclosures by George S. Cat
ter, Mr.. Lewis's aide, that de-
cisions already have been made
to water down the central area
proposals, the most controversial
lof which include tight restric-
tons on the size of new down.
town buildings and rigid off,
street parking requirements.
Final Revision
The watering down" is being
done by Mr.. Lewis in a final
revision of his coming proposals,
to be submitted to the District
Commissioners by November 8.
Whether the revised version will
satisfy critics, however, is UNI
known.
The planning commission
worked for four hours behind
closed doors on a committee re-
port dealing with the Lewis pro-
posalS, at a session attended by
Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Cater. Then
the commission invited reporters
into the room and approved the
report with virtually no discus
sion.
The report said the commits
sion needs to make further
study" on Mr.. Lewis proposals
for the central business district.
Mr.. Lewis approach has been
that downtown washington will
become strangled in people and
autos unless tight controls are
placed on the number of new
people employed there.
Mass Transit Studied
| The planners report noted
THAT the proposals. however, are
/ ''predicated on a contemplated
decline of one-quarter in the
use of mass transit facilities. .
and added:
1.-THE committee is of the opin-
ion that this assumption regard
ing less future reliance on mass
transit facilities cannot properly
be made until the results of the
mass transportation survey (be-
ing conducted by the planning
lcommission) have been deter
mined.
/ Until we know better the flu
lture role mass transit can be
expected to play in bringing
daily workers to the central
area. the committee is of the
opinion that less stringent new
requirements for compulsory off
street parking for the downtown
!. commercial buildings should be
established than those proposed
by Mr.. Lewis"
/ Beyond this statement, the
planners did not say what kind
OF coming controls should be i'm
posed downtown pending COM
pletion of the transportation
study.
Other major points in the re-
port were:
/. That "nonconforming use'
provisions be the same as in ex-
listing coming regulations. These
call for the elimination Of nom
conforming uses after such
structures are abandoned or de-
stroyed. but do not limit their
lives to a set number of years.
Seeks Stronger Law
Harland. Bartholomew, plan.
ming commission chairman, ex-
planned that the commission
really favors stronger noncon-
forming use provisions, but that
an act of Congress is required
for enforcement. If the legisla-
ton is acquired later the report
said, more extensive provisions
- $780,.