Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-20
D. {. Planners
Hit for Denying
Bid Of Church
Attorney Rops Group
For Adverse Action
! On Business Site

A Washington attorney today
accused the National Capital
Planning Commission of "pie
in the sky" planning in opposing
a church'S effort to lease part of
its property for a gas station.
BY implication the attorney.
John L. Hamilton, also applied
This criticism to the District Board
LOT zoning Adjustment.
Mr.. Hamilton appeared before
the coming group in behalf of
Immaculate Conception Church,
1915 Eighth street NV.
Last July the church paid $685.
600 for an adjacent lot formerly
occupied by the Harry Kauf-
man Department Store, RACED
after a fire three years ago.
The church is letting parish
toner's use part of the property
for parking. But last fall it asked
the District for permission to
lease a portion facing Seventh
street to the American Oil Co.
Tor a gas station.
Request Denied Previously
Both the zoning group and the
planning commission, which has
a voice in such matters, turned
the request down. the planning
commission twice. Mr.. Hamil-
ton brought the matter back to
the coming board today for a
lrehearing.
John Nolen. jr.. who heads the
planning commissions staff. is
one of the five members of the
coming board.
The church property is in an
area slated for urban renewal.
This fact was cited by the plan
ming commission when it ruled
against the gas station.
Mr.. Hamilton charged today.
however. that the planners are
being unrealistic and impracti-
cal in refusing to grant the
church's plea. Besides pointing
out that actual redevelopment of
the neighborhood may be years
away. he stressed that the church
has an investment in the prop
Ierty which is now being wasted.
He also challenged a plan
ming commission contention that
"a gas station would be against
the public convenience. interest
and safety and might affect the
area adversely economically.
A veteran real estate man and
District Government appraiser.
Robert w. Savage, appearing as
a witness inabehalf of the church,
told the coming group that the
neighborhood is aleardy on the
downgrade and he thought the
gas station would be beneficial.
MIR. Hamilton at an earlier
hearing presented several other
witnesses favoring the gas sta
ton. including neighborhood
businessmen and John A. Remon.
who is chairman of the District
Redevelopment Land Agency and
vice chairman of the planning
commission.
Mr.. Remon at the previous
hearing said he didn't expect
any of the church's property
would be disturbed by the city's
redevelopment plans.
Pastor Testifiies
Msgr. John B. Roeder. pastor
of the church and a vice chan
cellor of the Washington Catho-
lie Archdiocese, personally tes-
titled in behalf of the project at
the previous hearing. The Rev.
John F. O'Connor. assistant pas
Tor, attended today'S hearing but
did not testify.
Support for the gas station has
also been registered by the
National Bank of Washington.
which has a branch nearby.
The planning commissions
staff report on which the COM
mission based its negative stand
expressed sympathy for the
Ichurch's desire to put its prop
Ierty into productive use. But the
report said it could see no basis
for assuming that a filling sta
Ition on the appellants property
will add to the prosperity OF the
merchants nearby. 1t would be
more likely to produce the OPP
posite result"