Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-19
|zoning Group
Votes Easing
|Of Lewis Rules
Citizen Report Nov
Goes to District
Unit for Action

I
sultant Harold M. Lewis was
voted overwhelmingly yesterday
by the Citizens zonine Ad-
yisory Committee.
The final 66-page report
fulfiills a Job the Commission
ers gave the citizens group 31z
years ago. II now goes TO the
District Zoning Commission.
which already has analysed the
Lewis recommendation, and Is
In the process Of polishing up
an odcial new coming code for
the city.
The citizen report follows the
general legal form outlined by
MIR. Lewis. q New York zon-
ing expert. but recommends
strong reductions in the degree
of restrictions he proposes.
The most important differ
ences would eliminate any re-
quirements for off-street park
ing in new downtown buildings.
permit bigger. ONCE buildings
and apartments that Mr.. Lewis
suggests and give developers
with imminent construction
plans the right to 60 ahead
under existing zoning rules.
Two Minority Reports
Only three minor amend
ments were voted 70 the report
as drawn UP by q drafting
committee last week, and only
five dissenting votes were cast.
The dissenters. however, will
file two minority reports which
object strongly TO certain Of
the liberalizations in the Lewis
report.
Only about IS Of the So
members Of the citizen commit
tee. headed by Banker Thomas
J. Groom, attended the meet
ing. The dissenters were John
X. Hoskins. speaking for the
Washington Housing Associa-
ton: Mrs. Harold B. Hinton Of
the Georgetown Progressive
Citizens Association; Tracy b.
Augur. city planner: George r.
Linkins. real estate man. and
jerome NJ. Alper, attorney.
speaking for himself and Mai.
Gen. U. s. Grant III Of the
Committee Of 100 on the Fed
eral City.
One Of the two minority re-
ports was signed by Mr.. Hos
kins. Mrs. Hinton. Mr.. Augur
and Vladimir z. Hartman. with
an Endorsement by Burton w.
Marsh. Their report objects to
reductions In Mr.. Lewis propo-
sails for building size and height
limits, to reduction in parking
requirements and TO the citizen
committees proposals permit
ting construction to 60 ahead
under existing coming rules.
Effective Date at Issue
Mr.. Lewis had proposed that
the new coming rules 60 into
effect on the date they are
adopted. The citizen report
proposes that developers be per-
mitted to build under current
coming II they file preliminary
applications" for building per-
mits within 80 days after the
new coming rules take effect.
Those who so file then would
be given six months to submit
q final application and extern
sions beyond that time to sub
NIT final plans.
The Hoskins minority report
charged that there was no JUS
tification for such a lax pro-
vision except an unwillingneSs
to accept the improvements Of
the proposed new coming code"
Mr.. Alper said that he and
Gen. Grant also oppose this
liberalization, and recon-
mended that developers only be
given 80 days to file skeleton
plans" after adoption of the
new code II they want to 60
ahead under current rules.
Mr.. Alper said this and
n u m erous other specific
changes in the citizen report
would be noted in q minority
report to be submitted next
week. He said that despite diff
ferences. however. he and Gen.
Grant "agree with more of the
provisions Of the citizen report
than we oppose.
Vote Delay Defeated
Before the final committee
action. a move by Mr.. Augur
to postpone q vote for three
weeks was defeated. Mr.. Augur
charged that insufficient time
was given the full committee
to analyze the report of the
Drafting Committee. which was
headed by attorney James c.
Wilkes.