Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-02
CAPITAL SUBURBS
WILL Be PLANNED
Maryland Body Would Have
Jurisdiction in Two C0un-
ties Adjoining D. c.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 2.-The
bill introduced in the State Assembly
by the Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties delegations mere
yesterday, creating the Maryland
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, gives to that commission
planning, parking and coming 5urlsdlc-
ton throughout suburban Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties, which
area is described In the bill as the
Maryland Washington metropolitan
district and includes the territory now
included in the Washington suburban
sanitary district as well as extensions
along Cabin John Run, Rock creek
and north of Burnt Mills, where the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission Is planning a reservoir to
serve the two counties.
The bill provides a mandatory Scent
tax on the territory affected. which
tax, it is estimated, will pay the cost
OF creating and adopting a coming.
planning and parking plan and city
planning plan for the metropolitan
district as we'll as defray administra.
tive expenses.
Montgomery 7-Cent Tax.
The Montgomery County section of
the district is made subject to a 7-cent
mandatory tax to be expended for
the purpose Of parking and planning
and any future improvement, and a
similar tax is authorized for Prince
Georges County, subject to the APP
prevail Of both the Prince Georges
County members on the park and
planning commission and the county
commissioners of Prince Georges
County.
The commission is to consist of
SIX members, three from each county,
all appointed by the governor The
chairman will serve at an annual
salary of $4,000 and the other five
commissioners will receive $500 per
annum.
A majority of the three members
appointed from each county have
the power Of approval over all park
ing, planning and coming questions in
their respective district.
The money provided by the 7-cent
tax In each county will be spent
within that county. Any State ap-
preparations viii be equally divided
between the two counties.
The rapidity and volume Of the
suburban development in Mont
gomery and Prince Georges Counties
have made the problem Of parking,
planning and coming acute and the
creation by Congress of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion with jurisdiction throughout
the Greater Washington area, which
that commission regards as extend
ing 70 miles, makes this action on
the part of the Maryland authorities
particularly important.
The Virginia Legislature contem-
plates similar legislation for the Vir-
ginia counties opposite Washington
City at the present special session
of the Virginia Legislature
Representative Zihlman- has already
introduced a special bill for an addi-
tional Federal appropriation of $780,
600. half to be spent in Maryland
and half in Virginia.
The proposed legislation has the
unanimous recommendation of the
Maryland park and planning commit.
tee appointed by Gov. Richie in the
Summer of 1926, of which the follow
ing members Joined in the report to
the General Assembly of MARYLAND
recommending the proposed bill in de.
tail:
Montgomery County, e. Brooke
Lee, chairman; Oliver Owen Kuhn.
Frank L. Hewitt, Chester Wells, Ben
q. Davis, Frank c. Hutton, Charles
H. Merryman. Prince Georges County,
j. EnoS Ray, Judge Joseph C.. Mat.
tingly, T. Howard Duckett, Irwin
Owings E. Francis Riggs, Perry Bos.
well, Robert II. Morse, secretary.
Approval for Measure.
The bill itself was drawn by J. Bond
Smith and Joseph c. Cissel, attorneys,
employed by the commissioners of
Montgomery County, and has been
passed upon several times in every
detail by Alfred Bettman, a city plan
ming expert Of Cincinnati, employed
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission to aid the ada.
cent Maryland counties in preparing
this legislation. Mr. Bettnan helped
prepare the Euclid Village coming act,
which was sustained by the Supreme
Court of the United States, and par
ticlpated in the city planning program
of Boston, Mass, and Akron, Ohio.
The proposed legislation in detail
has been approved by Senator Jones.
from Montgomery County, and Senator
Sasscer, from Prince Georges County.
The Montgomery County Civic FEEDER
alton and upward of 20 Citizens Asso-
Citations and town governments have
approved the legislation for Montgom-
cry County and no civic organization
or montgomery County has opposed
the legislation.
For Prince Georges County the
legislation has been approved at a
dinner by more than 40 of the MAYORS.
business men and politicians of the
county and by a mass meeting held
at HyatfSvilIe