Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-16
ruling TOMORROW
| IN REzON|NG FIGHT
Decision Expected to Change
Two HaIpine Parcels to
Industrial Status.
BY WILLIAM J. WkIEATLEY,
stan Correspondent of The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md. September 10
Decision on the petitions to reZone three
parcels of land at and near Halpine,
one to commercial and two to indus
trial, and all from the present classifi-
cation of residential. it was said today,
will be made at the meeting of the
board of county commissioners here to-
morrow afternoon.
It was indicated that the members
of the board would not discuss the mat
ter officially again until that time
While there has not been an intimatton
from the members of the board as to
what their decision would be as to any
of the parcels, there are indications
from several sources that at least the
two industrial properties would be SO
classed.
Decision Rests With DIR. Perry.
Although the entire board Of county
commissioners sat as a board Of coming
appeals at Bethesda Friday night. when
scores of residents came to protest
against the proposed rezoning, and told
the board that the present petitions
were but an entering wedge for an in
crease of the area surrounding the
present affected parcels as industrial,
1t was indicated that the decision would
rest largely with DR.. Benjamin c. Perry,
president of the board. and commits
Sioner representing the district in which
the proposed rezoning is sought.
While county officials would not def
nitely commit themselves on the de-
cision, the trend of discussion, particu-
larly with regard to the industrial
changes sought, indicated that they
saw no way that this could be legiti-
mately denied along the line Of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. This was
the logical place for industrial develop
ment, 1t was said, and the opinion was
expressed that there would be no resi-
Dental development along the railroad.
the hearing Friday night who said that
they lived along the railroad and did
not find 1t undesirable.
1t was disclosed yesterday that the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. some
months ago had made a move to have
all Of the land along its right of way in
the metropolitan district, now zoned as
residential, rezoned as industrial for a
distance of 200 feet on either side Of its
right Of way, This would indicate
proposal for an industrial development
following a strip along the full length
of the railroad. Nothing was done with
the suggestion at the time.
Should the coming appeals board,
which is made up only OF two commits
sioners within the metropolitan district,
the other two being from the rural dis
tricts in other parts Of the county, de-
eide for industrial coming. it will run
counter to the recommendations of the
Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, composed OF
three men from Prince Georges County
and three from Montgomery County.
who are charged with the duty OF
watching and planning the orderly de-
velopment of the county. OF course,
under the same theory Of local self-gov-
eminent, the recommendations OF the
commissioners from each county AFFECT
ing their particular county are closely
followed by the commissioners in the
other county. The Montgomery County
park and planning commissioners are
Robert G. Hilton Of Rockville. Joseph
H. Cissel of Silver Spring and George P.
Hoover Of Chevy Chase. While these
oficials are not expert city planners.
they have at their disposal q planning
expert in the person of Irving G. Root.
chief engineer of the commission. With
all Of the expert advice before them, the
planning commission voted against all
of the rezoning proposals. which result
ed in the appeal to the higher tribunal
Much Interest Aroused.
NOLUluk IlhS StHICo Oh
tereSt id the county since the famous
fight against the installation Of the belt
line railway through the lower end and
the fight against the zoning is for the
same purpose as the fight against the
belt line failway-that is to protect resi-
dences against the entertainments OF
industriahsm. The fight against the
belt line railway was a bitter one and
the present controversy is none the less
bitter between the owners of residences,
on the one hand. and the eral estate
promoters on the other.
The controversy has been fraught
with charges and counter charges and
with statements alleged to have been
made by workers for the organization
Democrats. who are alleged to have told
residents that the matter Of rezoning
had been decided upon long before the
hearing. This is not fact, it was
learned. and county leaders are known
to have told certain individuals that
the whole question would be decided on
its merits, based entirely upon the testi-
mony offered at the public hearing. The
hearing has not served to reduce any OF
the fire and whether the smouldering
embers will be rekindled by an adverse
decision for either side, coming up in
the way of court action, remains to be