Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-23
Citizen Group Asks
Lewis Plan Easinq
Advisers Seek
Restriction Cut
On D. c. Zonino

VII - 49, @OuutS
A report urging the District
Zoning Commission to loosen
coming restrictions proposed by
Consultant Harold NJ. Lewis
has cleared the Citizens Zoning
Advisory Committee. with only
four dissents.
Citizen recommendations now
will be passed OF to Brig. Gen.
Thomas A. Lane, Engineer
Commissioner. who heads the
commission.
Gen. Lane. driving for a de-
ciSion this month on the Lewis
coming overhaul, has scheduled
a commission session for 2 pm.
today. Before it, besides citi-
zen opposition. Will be Mr..
Lewis own final comments"
and a compromise proposal Of
the Zoning Advisory Council.
made up of municipal coming
experts.
AS the citizens group was
meeting yesterday, Gen. Lanes
five-member commission lost
one voting member. Commits
Sioner David B. Karrick. who
disqualified himself from act
ing on the Lewis report.
Mr.. Lewis controls affect real
estate holdings of both Com
missioner Karrick and his COM
petitors, Gen. Lane noted. Mr..
Karrick's withdrawal raised
the possibility of a deadlock
by q tie vote of remaining
commission members - Com
missioners Lane and Robert E.
Mclaughlin. National Capital
Parks Director Edward j. Kelly
and Capitol Architect George
Stewart.
No Tie Breaker
No provision was made for
breaking a tie.
But Gen. Lane discounted
chances it would occur. Com
mission members are trying TO
analyze Mr.. Lewis proposals.
point by point, to accept or
reject them unanimously, he
said.
Major suggestions Of the CO.
member Citizens Committee
were for a maximum height
limit Of $50 feet; no additional
lparking requirements down.
town, and increased footage
allowed on new buildings.
The committee also asked
that local developers be allowed
two years to complete build
ings planned under current
coming.
Mr.. Lewis wants the current
130-foot building height limit
in a 1910 act preserved: park
ing spaces guaranteed for occu-
pants of any new downtown
buildings. and a formula for
fixing, with less footage. the
area Of Office space by the size
of lots they occupy.
Minority Report Due
-Four mays" greeting the citi-
zen recommendations from
their own group yesterday came
from Mrs. Harold B. Hinton. a
Georgetown resident: Burton
w. Marsh and Vladimir Hart
man, both members of the
committees parking subcom-
mittee. and John K. Hoskins.
a director of the Washington
Housing Association.
They will file a minority
report.
Mrs. Hinton baked at the
l50-foot height ceiling. Her
motion to guarantee more sim
gle family dwelling units closer
to the downtown district failed
for lack of a second.
Both Mrs. Marsh and Mr..
Hartman plugged unsuccess-
fully for division Of the CEN
trail business area into park
ing districts"
Each district ought TO no
assessed for its share OF park
ing costs, Mr.. Marsh said. This
way. businessmen could meet
their obligations to furnish off,
street parking as a group. he
pointed out.
Louis Justement, architect
who heads the citizen subcom-
mittee summarizing citizens
views, said this suggestion was
dropped at Gen. Lanes request
to "streamline recommended
tons to what regulations would
provide"
THE parking idea may be- a
valuable one, but 1t would not
be written into the coming
code. as SUCH" Mr.. Justement
pointed out.
Sweeping Objections
Mr.. Hoskins' objections we're
more sweeping. His Housing
Association has supported Mr..
Lewis reforms straight through
two years Of often bitter con-
troversy.
Many Of the citizen SUCCESS
tons would vitiate good coming
for years TO come" Mr.. Hoskins
said, and promised 10 draft the
minority report.
Col. Thomas B. Hunter. as
sistant engineer commissioner,
warned the four disSenters to
get their report ready at once.
Gen. Lane plans continuous
meetings OF the commission
until decisions on major is
sues-heigt, density and park
ing-are reached. His own per-
sonal deadline for action is Au-
gust !. when he is 70 leave
Office TO assume command Of
Fort Leonard Wood. Mo.
The citizen commuters
schedule for detailing their own
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