Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-17
COURTHOUSE DATA
BEING COMPILED
Montgomery Commissioners
to Send Out "FeeIers" on
Site Question.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.
staff Correspondent OF The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, April 17.-Work
of compiling information as to the
owners Of the property in the square
west of the present courthouse here was
instituted today by Berry E. Clark,
clerk to the commissioners of Mont
gomery County. The commissioners,
as forecast in The Star, yesterday
passed formal resolution, directing
that each land owner be asked to in
form the county officials as to what
price they would sell their property for
courthouse purposes.
1t will require several days to collect
the information, as to ownership of the
various parcels Of land included in the
square, and when this is complete the
letters will be sent out, each having
attached copy of the resolution passed
yesterday.
The resolution directs that the
answers to the request for stated price
be made public when received. The
commissioners stated that they con-
slider the construction of an adequate
f1reproof courthouse lone OF the most
important emergencies Of public i'm
provement nature now needed in Mont
gomery County" and that they con-
tinue in favor of the plan of court
house construction recommended unani-
mouSly by the courthouse building
committee, which plan includes the
purchase of the square west OF the
present courthouse between Court street
and Frederick road as an addition to
the public square of Montgomery County
and to be improved by a unit OF the
proposed courthouse"
Reasonable Use of Funds.
The county governors also expressed,
in the resolution, their willingness to
expend a reasonable portion Of the
emergency funds at their disposal for
the purchase of the square, over and
above the $4,000 made available by
the 1929 session of the General Assembly,
and state that ample funds now are
on hand for the construction OF the
proposed courthouse as recommended
by the building committee and the
county commissioners.
The $4,000 which the commissioners
say is available is provided for in two
bond issues, one for the purchase OF a
triangle of the square on the west side
of Court street, and $4,000 for the
purchase of 16 feet on the north side
of the square for the purpose of widen
ing Montgomery avenue to carry the
heavy traffic which passes east and
west through the town.
The emergency funds which the COM
missioners refer to in the resolution
is the 100000 emergency certificates of
indebtedness which the authorities are
allowed to put in circulation by an act
of the 1927 Legislature. Some of this
money was tied up in the school con-
struction, to make up the difference be-
tween the $4,000 allowed by the Legis-
lature and one bond issue, and the
amount authorized in the bill as it
passed the House of Delegates.
Question of Amount.
The commissioners did not indicate
what they would consider reasonable
amount, but it is understood that it
might be as high as 100000 If that
amount Is found necessary in order to
purchase the land in the square SO
that the project can go forward this
Summer.
The "feeler" to be put out in the
form of letters to the property holders
also will show whether any owners of
property desire to stand in the way of
the project. Should any of them not
desire to sell, then, it was said, the pur-
chase of the other parcels will go for
ward. if the prices are reasonable, and
the others left until after the next ses-
sion of the Legislature at which it is
hoped to have passed condemnation
law which will permit the county Of
f1cials to condemn land for public build
ing purposes.