Chapter 997. To amend an Act to regulate the height of buildings in the District of Columbia
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CHAP. 997.— An Act To amend an Act to regulate the height of buildings in the District of Columbia. March 3, 1903.[[Public, No. 147](/us/pl/57/147).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, District of Columbia. Height of buildings. Vol. 30, p. 922, amended. *Proviso*. Churches excepted. That section three of the Act entitled “An Act to regulate the height of buildings in the District of Columbia,” approved March first, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine, be amended by adding thereto the following:
“*Provided*, That this requirement shall not apply to churches erected outside of the fire limits as now or hereafter established within the District of Columbia, Additions. and in case of additions to existing structures the restrictions contained herein shall apply only to such additions.” Sec. 2. Vol. 30, p. 922, amended. Maximum height. That section four of said Act be amended to read as follows: " “Sec. 4. That no building shall be erected or altered on any street or avenue or highway in the District of Columbia to exceed in height Allowance for public space. above the sidewalk the width of the street in its front; but where the site of a proposed building confronts a public space or reservation formed at the intersection of two or more streets or avenues and the course of said streets or avenues is not interrupted by said public space or reservation, the allowable height of the building will be determined by the width of the widest street or avenue.
Where a building is to be erected removed from all points within the bounding lines of its own lots as recorded by a distance at least equal to its proposed height above grade, the extreme limits of height permitted for fireproof or nonfireproof buildings in residence sections may be allowed, the measurements to be taken from the natural grades at the Business streets. building as determined by the Commissioners. On business streets and avenues, as the same are now or may hereafter be designated by the Commissioners of said District, no building shall be erected or altered to exceed the height of one hundred and ten feet, except on business streets or avenues one hundred and sixty feet wide, where a height not exceeding one hundred and thirty feet may be allowed.
Residence streets. On residence streets and avenues no building shall be erected or altered so as to be over eighty feet in height, nor shall it exceed ten feet less than the width of the street or avenue upon which it abuts, except on streets sixty to sixty-five feet wide, where a height of sixty feet will be allowed, and on streets sixty feet wide and less, where a Corner lots. height equal to the full width of the street will be allowed. The 1023 height of buildings on corner lots will be regulated by the width of the wider street: *Provided*, That if said buildings have projections, *Provisos*.
Reductions for projections. such as bay windows, oriels, covered porches, and so forth, extending over two stories, the height of the building shall be diminished by the amount of the greatest projection: *Provided further*, That spires, Spires, etc. towers, and domes may be erected to a greater height than the limits herein prescribed when approved by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia: *And provided also*, That on streets less than ninety Building lines. feet wide, where building lines have been established so as to be a matter of public record in the office of the surveyor of the District and so as to prevent the lawful erection of any building in advance of said lines, the width of the street, in so far as it controls the height of buildings under this law, may be held to be the distance between said building lines.
On blocks immediately adjacent to public buildings Blocks adjacent to public buildings or sites. or to the site of any public building for which plans have been prepared and money appropriated at the time of application for the permit the height shall be regulated by a schedule adopted by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.” " Sec. 3. That section five of said Act be amended to read as follows: " “Sec. 5. That no wooden or frame building, as authorized by Wooden buildings.
Vol. 30, p. 922. existing law, hereafter erected or altered, and intended to be used for human habitation, shall exceed in height three stories, or forty feet to the roof.” " Sec. 4. That section six of said Act be amended to read as follows: Measurement of height. Vol. 30, p. 922. " “Sec. 6. That the height of all buildings shall be measured from the level of the sidewalk opposite the middle of the front of the building to the highest point of the roof. If the building has more than one front, the height shall be measured from the mean elevation of the sidewalk at the street corners.
No parapet walls shall extend above the limit of height.” " Approved, March 3, 1903.