Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

[S. 686]

An Act To amend an Act regulating the height of buildings in the District of Columbia, approved June 1, 1910.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That an Act entitled "An Act to regulate the height of buildings in the District of Columbia," approved June 1, 1910, be, and it is hereby, amended by adding at the end of paragraph 5 of said Act the following provisos:

"And provided further, That the building to be erected on property known as the Dean tract, comprising nine and one-fourth acres, bounded on the west by Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Road, on the south by Florida Avenue, on the east by Nineteenth Street, and on the north by a property line running east and west five hundred and sixty-four feet in length, said building to cover an area not exceeding fourteen thousand square feet and to be located on said property not less than forty feet distant from the north property line, not less than three hundred and twenty feet distant from the Connecticut Avenue property line, not less than one hundred and sixty feet distant from the Nineteenth Street property line, and not less than three hundred and sixty feet distant from the Florida Avenue line, measured at the point on the Florida Avenue boundary where the center line of Twentieth Street meets said boundary, be permitted to be erected to a height not to exceed one hundred and eighty feet above the level of the existing grade at the center of the location above described: And provided further, That the design of said building and the layout of said ground be subject to approval by the Fine Arts Commission and the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, both of the District of Columbia."

Approved, April 29, 1930.

[S. 2400]

An Act To regulate, the height, exterior design, and construction of private and semipublic buildings in certain areas of the National Capital.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in view of the provisions of the Constitution respecting the establishment of the seat of the National Government, the duties it imposed upon Congress in connection therewith, and the solicitude shown and the efforts exerted by President Washington in the planning and development of the Capital City, it is hereby declared that such development should proceed along the lines of good order, good taste, and with due regard to the public interests involved, and a reasonable degree of control should be exercised over the architecture of private or semipublic buildings adjacent to public buildings and grounds of major importance. To this end, hereafter when application is made for permit for the erection or alteration of any building, any portion of which is to front or_abut upon the grounds of the Capitol, the grounds of the White House, the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue extending from the Capitol to the White House, Rock Creek Park, the Zoological Park, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, Potomac Park, The Mall Park System and public buildings adjacent thereto, or abutting upon any street bordering any of said grounds or parks, the plans therefor, so far as they relate to height and appearance, color, and texture of the materials of exterior construction, shall be submitted by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to the Commission of Fine Arts; and the said commission shall report promptly to said commissioners its recommendations, including such changes, if any, as in its judgment are necessary to prevent reasonably avoidable impairment of the public values belonging to such public building or park; and said commissioners shall take such action as shall, in their judgment, effect reasonable compliance with such recommendation: Provided, That if the said Commission of Fine Arts fails to report its approval or disapproval of such plans within thirty days, its approval thereof shall be assumed and a permit may be issued. SEC. 2. Said Commissioners of the District of Columbia, in consultation with the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, as early as practicable after approval of this Act, shall prepare plats defining the areas within which application for building permits shall be submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts for its recommendations.

Approved, May 16, 1930.

[CHAPTER 534-3D SESSION]

[H. R. 9844]

AN ACT

Providing for the zoning of the District of Columbia and the regulation of the location, height, bulk, and uses of buildings and other structures and of the uses of land in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That to promote the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity, or general welfare of the District of Columbia and its planning and orderly development as the National Capital, the Zoning Commission created by the Act of March 1, 1920 (41 Stat. 500), is hereby empowered, in accordance with the conditions and procedures specified in this Act, to regulate the location, height, bulk, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of lot which may be occupied, the sizes of yards, courts, and other open spaces, the density of population, and the uses of buildings, structures, and land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, public activities, or other purposes; and for the purpose of such regulation said commission may divide the District of Columbia into districts or zones of such number, shape, and area as said Zoning Commission may determine, and within such districts may regulate the erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, maintenance, and uses of buildings and structures and the uses of land. All such regulations shall be uniform for each class or kind of building throughout each district, but the regulations in one district may differ from those in other districts.

SEC. 2. Such regulations shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and designed to lessen congestion in the street, to secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers, to promote health and the general welfare, to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the undue concentration of population and the overcrowding of land, and to promote such distribution of population and of the uses of land as would tend to create conditions favorable to health, safety, transportation, prosperity, protection of property, civic activity, and recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities, and as would tend to further economy and efficiency in the supply of public services. Such regulations shall be made with reasonable consideration, among other things, of the character of the respective districts and their suitability for the uses provided in the regulations, and with a view to encouraging stability of districts and of land values therein. SEC. 3. The regulations heretofore adopted by the Zoning Commission under the authority of the above-mentioned Act of March 1, 1920 (41 Stat. 500), and in force at the date of the taking effect of this Act, including the maps which at said date accompany and are a part of such regulations, shall be deemed to have been made and adopted and in force under this present Act and shall be and continue in force and effect until and as they may be amended by the Zoning Commission as authorized by this Act. The Zoning Commission may from time to time amend the regulations or any of them or the maps or any of them. Before putting into effect any amendment or amendments of said regulations, or of said map or maps, the Zoning Commission shall hold a public hearing thereon. At least thirty days' notice of the time and place of such hearings shall be published at least once in a daily newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in the District of Columbia. Such published notice shall include a general summary of the proposed amendment or amendments of the regulation or regulations and the boundaries of the territory or territories included in the amendment or amendments of the map or maps, and the time and place of the hearing. The Zoning Commission shall give such additional notice of such hearing as it shall deem feasible and practicable. At such hearing it shall afford any person present a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Such public hearing may be adjourned from time to time and if the time and place of the adjourned meeting be publicly announced when the adjournment is had, no further notice of such adjourned meeting need be published. SEC. 4. Any amendment of the regulations or any of them or of the maps or any of them shall require the favorable vote of not less than a full majority of the members of the Commission.

SEC. 5. A Zoning Advisory Council is hereby created to be composed of a representative designated by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, a representative designated by the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia, and a representative designated by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, all of whom shall be persons experienced in zoning practice and shall serve without additional compensation. No amendment of any zoning regulation or map shall be adopted by the Zoning Commission unless and until such amendment be first submitted to said Zoning Advisory Council and the opinion or report of such Council thereon shall have been received by the Commission: Provided, however, That if said Council shall fail to transmit its opinion and advice within thirty days from the date of submission to it, then in such event the Zoning Commission shall have the right to proceed to act upon the proposed amendment without further waiting for the receipt of the opinion and advice of said Council.

SEC. 6. The permissible height of buildings in any district shall not exceed the maximum height of buildings now authorized upon any street in any part of the District of Columbia by the Act of Congress approved June 1, 1910, and amendments thereto, regulating the height of buildings in the District of Columbia.

SEC. 7. The lawful use of a building or premises as existing and lawful at the time of the original adoption of any regulation heretofore adopted under the authority of the aforesaid Act of March 1, 1920, or, in the case of any regulation hereafter adopted under this Act, at the time of such adoption, may be continued although such use does not conform with the provisions of such regulation, provided no structural alteration, except such as may be required by law or regulation, or no enlargement is made or no new building is erected. The Zoning Commission may in its discretion provide, upon such terms and conditions as may be set forth in the regulations, for the

99812°-38--10

extension of any such nonconforming use throughout the building and for the substitution of nonconforming uses.

SEC. 8. A board of zoning adjustment is hereby created which shall be composed of five members appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, namely, one member of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission or a member of the staff thereof to be designated in either case by such Commission; one member of the Zoning Commission or a member of the staff thereof to be designated in either case by such Commission; and three other members, each of whom shall have been a resident of the District of Columbia for at least three years immediately preceding his appointment and at least one of whom shall own his own home.

The representative of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission may be changed from time to time by such Commission in its discretion and in case of a vacancy in the position by death, resignation, or other disability, a new representative shall be designated by the said Commission and appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to fill said vacancy. The representative of the Zoning Commission may be changed from time to time by such Commission in its discretion and in case of a vacancy in the position by death, resignation, or other disability, a new representative shall be designated by the said Commission and appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to fill said vacancy. The terms of the three members designated by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall be three years each, excepting that, in the case of the initial appointments, one shall be for a term of one year and one for a term of two years. In case of any vacancy in the position of any of the three members designated by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, the same shall be filled for the remainder of the term.

The Zoning Commission may provide and specify in its zoning regulations general rules to govern the organization and procedure of the Board of Adjustment not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, and the Board of Adjustment may adopt supplemental rules of procedure which shall be subject to the approval of the Zoning Commission after public hearing thereon as provided in section 3. The Board of Adjustment shall choose its chairman and its other officers. All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. The Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing the vote of each member upon each question, or if absent or failing to vote indicating such fact, and shall keep records of its examinations and other official actions, all of which shall be immediately filed in the office of the Board and shall be a public record.

The regulations adopted by the Zoning Commission may provide that the Board of Adjustment may, in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate principles, standards, rules, conditions, and safeguards set forth in the regulations, make special exceptions to the provisions of the zoning regulations in harmony with their general purpose and intent. The Commission may also authorize the Board of Adjustment to interpret the zoning maps and pass upon disputed questions of lot lines or district boundary lines or similar questions as they arise in the administration of the regulations.

The Board of Adjustment shall not have the power to amend any

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »