Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-12
COUNTY BUILDING
BODY WILL MEET
New Rockville Courthouse
Project to Be Discussed
Next Friday.
BY WILLIAM J., WHEATLEY.
stan CorrSspondent Of The Star.

ROCKVILLE. Md, July 12.-Consid-
I Grafton OF the new courthouse and
county building project in connection
with the enlarged site viii be instituted
) here next Friday afternoon, when the
| enlarged courthouse building commit
! tee. the new members of which were
appointed earlier in the week, will hold
/ its Ar, Meeting. Berry E. Clark. clerk
! to the Board of County Commission
crs it was said by County Commission
! or Lacy Shaw, vice president OF the
! hoard, has dispatched letters to the en-
| tire membership asking them to be
! present at the meeting, at the request
| of DR.. BENJAMIN G. Perry, chairman of
! the committee.
( The most important decision to be
made by the new board is that as TO
/ whether the present plans for the new
structure shall be strapped and new
/ designs made for the enlarged site. The
/ plans which we're drawn and adopted
subsequent to the 1927 session OF the
LEGISLATURE which authorized the new
building together with a new jail, pro-
vlded for a remodeling of the present
building.
Urge New Building.
However, the thought of the leaders
of the county appears TO be that an
entirely new building should be provided
for. which would be set oil properly IN
the new site, which will include the
square west of the courthouse, soon TO
be put under the process OF condemna-
I ton. This involves, of course, the clos
ing of Court street, between the present
courthouse property and the territory
which it is proposed 10 add, which the
! county commissioners have asked the
: town council of Rockville to do. .
The matter of closing Court Streee
was discussed by the mayor and coun-
erl, and while no action was taken, IL
was apparent that there will be no
difficulty in this matter unless 1T be
legal one. However. counsel Tor the
| county commissioners have given II as
their opinion that the mayor and coun-
Gil could close the street under their
charter. Members of the council and
the mayor indicated that they were
ready to do everything within their
power to assist in promoting the en-
larged courthouse project.
The council was undecided as 10
lust how to proceed in the matter, and
Mayor j. Roger Spates was designated
a committee of one to engage counsel to
advise the body in this matter Mayor
Spates announced today that he had
engaged the local firm of Talbot &
prettyman to represent the town fathers
IN the matter.
Will Await Move.
At any rate, it was said. nothing will
be done about closing the street until
some definite step is taken toward &C
curing the square west of the court
house. 1t was pointed out that the
street should not be closed until the
matter of the acquisition of the new
square was definitely settled. When this
is done, it was indicated, then the
council will undertake to comply with
the expressed wish of the Board of
County Commissioners.
1t is problematical at this time
whether any legal steps will be taken
to delay the acquisition of the square
by condemnation. While there has been
some discussion in the town of an in
junction to stay the commissioners,
there has not been anything but talk.
The only person who could stand in
court on an Injunction, 1t was said,
would be some property owner in the
square. However, the closing of the
street provides another angle, in that
any user of the street could seek to en-
join. it was said.
The enlarged committee represents
some of the most progressive thought in
the county. it was pointed out, and
there seems to be probability that they
will recommend an entirely new build
ing. Some of the members of the body
have already indicated to the writer
that they are in favor of a new build
ing, which would provide quarters for
the county government for years to
come. in a modern structure beftting
the phenomenal growth Of the section.
Present Quarters Cramped.
The, present quarters are cramped and
ILL F@,. EAfe
1nent of#a governmental business such
rs now exists in Montgomery County
The county commissioners have no
hearing room, and when they grant
public hearings it is necessary for those
present to stand behind a rail in a
small space. Many times all of the
participants cannot get into the room.
The quarters of the clerk of the court
are cramped, and the police headquar-
ters is located in a most unsatisfactory
place in the cellar. which was never
designed for anything but storage. The
county treasurers Office is similarly To-
Gated, and clerks have to work there
under the most unsatisfactory living
conditions.
The new committee is composed OF
Or. Benjamin G. Perry of Bethesda
president; Lacy Shaw, Silver Spring
vice president, and Clagett C.. Hilton
member, respectively of the Board of
County Commissioners; E. Brooke Lee
Speaker of the House of Delegates and
county Democratic leader: Judge Rob-
ert c. Peter of the Circuit Court. Ohio
H. w. Talbot. attorney of Rockville;
Preston B. Ray. clerk of the Circuit
Court: Berry E. Clark, clerk to Board OF
County Commissioners; Robert G. Hill
ton, president of the Farmers Banking
81 Trust Co. of Rockville and chairman
of the Democratic State central COM
rnittee Gilbert Grosvenor, Bethesda
president of the National Geographic
Society; George P. Sacks, Chevy Chase
H. F. Taft, former mayor of Takoms
park: George M. Hunter, Rockville
president of the Montgomery County
National Bank, and Clyde E. Thomas
of Gaithersburg, Josiah Jones of Olney
and George E. Hamilton of Bethesda.