Evening star., 1961-09-15
Plaza Buildings Get
New Height Limit
Planners Stress
Special Situation
In S.W. Ruling
BY ROBERT ]. LEWIS
Star Staff Writer


ming Commission has agreed to
an increase in the height limit
Of buildings for the Zecken-
dorf-Sponsored L'Enfant Plaza
development in Southwest
Washington.
After originally deciding yes
terday to postpone a decision
until next month, the commits
sion later in the day unexpect-
edly changed its mind and ap-
proved the change to speed up
redesign of four buildings.
The agency emphasized, how
ever, that its action was not
aimed at setting a precedent,
but grew out of circumstances
that constituted a very spe-
|cial situation"
Redeveloper William zecken-
dorf yesterday requested the
commission to have two Len
FAINT Plaza buildings rise 1870
feet above the level of the
plaza.
Since the plaza itself is to be
elevated 20 feet above the
ground, this would give the
buildings a height of $50 feet
above surrounding land.
Plaza at First Floor
Basis for the appeal is that
replanning Of the area along
the Tenth Street Mall for the
Redevelopment Land Agency
has led a decision to bring
the surface of the elevated
plaza to the level of the build
ings' first floor, and that this
has altered the design prob
lem"
Originally, the plaza build
lngS were to be reached across
bridges" with lower floors
open to natural lighting. Park
ing for 1000 cars is to be pro-
vided beneath the plaza, which
is designed to be one of the
most outstanding areas of the
redeveloped Southwest. The
Tenth Street Mall is to extend
between independence avenue
and the Southwest Freeway.
Araldo Cossuta, an architect
who appeared in Mr.. Zecken-
DORIS behalf, said the two
buildings for which a 130-foot
height was proposed would be
made correspondingly shorter
and kept within original space
limitations. He said the change
in height would not increase
the total square foot area of
the buildings.
Height of two other build
ings constituting the plaza con-
struction would be increased to
80 feet.
Also before the commission
yesterday was a plea that the
Government abandon it's pol
icy of designating taking
areas" for Federal building
sites.
Sees Check on Action
William E. Finley, NCPC ex-
ecutive director, said this Gus
tom had discouraged, in the
past, private redevelopment in
such areas.
We've been wondering
whether the General Services
Administration wouldn't be
willing to consider removal from
the law of the taking area
concept" he said.
At the moment. no major
sites are left in taking areas"
staff members said, and this
means that decision on a new
approach could be made ap-
propriately now.
Other planning commission
actions included:
Approval of site development
plans for three public housing
projects.
Approval Of the inclusion of
a 1.7-acre tract at Alton place
and Thirty-sixth and Yuma
streets NV. in the recreation
commissions playground sys-
tenn, and an okay for acquisi-
ton of the site by the District.
Public housing sites approved
were for a 163-unit develop
ment to be known as Kentucky
Courts at South Carolina and
Kentucky avenues Sc: Car
rollsburg Apartments, a six
story. Count development for
elderly persons, at Fourth and
M streets Sc; and Woodland
Terrace, 14-acre development
to have 235 units adjacent to
Fort Stanton Park, in the Ana
costa area.