Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-25
RESIDENTS REUSED
BY HALP|NE coming
Nothing Since Law Enacted
Has So Stirred Feeling
as This Issue.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
sta6 Correspondent of The Star.

board of coming appeals at Rockville
late Yesterday. as predicted In The star,
directed the rezoning from residential
to industrial of two large plots OF
ground on the east side OF the balu.
more g. Ohio Railroad tracks here ana
on either side Of the county ROAD
connecting the Rockville pike with the
Viers' Mil read, the latter destined to
become within a few years one OF the
main feeders to the Sixteenth street
portal of the District of Columbia. Az
the same time the commission declined
tn unset the recommendation OF the
MARYLAND National Capital Park and
Planning Commission that rezonlng
from residential to commercial be re-
fused to the Congressional Airport, Inc,
of two parcels of land fronting on the
Rockville pike at the airport The
manning commission also had acted
adversely on the petitions for industrial
rezonine, which the commissioners
granted.
Residents Stirred.
perhaps nothing since the coming law
was put into effect a couple OF years
ago has so stirred the residents OF any
one section or caused so much feeling
as the controversy over the reZonmg
inst ordered. Whether this evident hos
tility will display itself in any concrete
action in a further effort to upset the
action of the coming appeals ooard Goes
not seem to have been determined, Out
there were heard suggestions that posi-
bly, some of the substantial , sa.aaers
would dispose of their holdings because
Of what they termed the apparent I'M
certainty as to whether coming In tne
county really meant anything. =,
Although there was opposition 10 All
three of the petitions for rezoning, the
greatest was to the rezoning OF the
parcel of land for the use OF plant
for the distribution OF a domestic gas
product for private homes. This prod
uct is served in tanks, ana II g. was Is
claimed by the opponents that II is
highly dangerous and should not De al
lowed to exist in a community wnicn
up to this time has been residential.
It was contended on behalf OF the OPP
ponents that such plant would be Of
fensive and develop into nuisance,
while on the other hand 1t was put
forth by those arguing for the re2onng
that If the plant did become nuisance
the county commissioners, as district
council under the metropolitan district
act, would have full authority to regu-
late 1t.
Decision by DIR. Perry.
DR.. BENJAMIN c. Perry Of Bethesda,
president of the Board of County Com
Tnissioners, Is the commissioner from
the district in which the rezoning was
asked, Under the policy followed in
district affairs the matter was lett
entirely up to DR.. Perry, 1t was said.
However, that county of1cial has as
sumed full responsibility and has let
it be known for weeks that he was
strongly in favor, of the rezonlng: Ne he
pointed out and contended that the
industrial sites Just approved were so
far back from the Rockville pike that
their location there could not possibly,
in his opinion, affect or mar the de-
velopment of this highway as one OF the
main arteries into and out of the Dis
trict of Columbia. DR.. Perry also said
that subsequent to the public hearing
conducted on the petitions, several peo-
ple who were so strongly opposed to
the rezoning admitted later that they
had really not been fully informed as
to the location of the parcels of land,
and some of them did not even know
Just where Halpine on the railroad was.
County politics, 1t was charged, by
some, played an important part in the
question, while, on the other hand, the
Democratic organization leaders said
that the matter was decided entirely on
its merits. But they are known to hold
strong beliefs that the property border
ing the railroad tracks should have an
industrial stamp in the coming plan, al
though this was not provided for When
the general coming map was laid out
within the past two years.
Not Entirely Controlled by Politics.
But the lands in question were not
controlled entirely by Democratic or
ganization men. One of the parcels,
that of the proposed aircraft factory
site, is being handled by Capt. Frank
Hewitt of Silver Spring, Republican,
and, of course, an opponent OF all
Democrats, whether regular or anti
organization, when strictly politics are
being considered. The parcel Of land
in which he is interested, during a
period of years has been used for var
ious industrial purposes, and at the
present time has large brick building
on it, which lends itself to industrial
use. 1t could have been used in its
present state for industrial purposes
without any rezoning. under what IS
termed, in coming parlance. a mon con-
forming USE which really means that
having been there when the coming code
was put into effect could not have been
regulated out of such use by any act OF
the governing body.
The petitioner for the rezoning OF the
land to be used for the redistribution
plant was r. H. Lenovitz, proprietor OF
a general merchandise store located on
the Rockville pike at the junction OF
that road with the county road to Viers
Mill highway. The gossip in the area
affected points out Lenovitz as an ar
dent party worker for the regular
Democratic faction in the county. Leno-
vitz likewise claims that he Is. He in
formed the writer that he spent hours
each night prior to the formal public
hearing on the rezoning question plead
ing his case with the county Democratic
leaders, county commissioners and even
opponents of the plan.
Predicted Decision.
Although he told the writer that he
wanted the matter settled entirely on its
merits, he said prior to the public hear
ing that the reZoning of the property
he was interested in would be ordered.
The opponents of the rezoning, for the
most part, are not party workers in any
of the political factions in the county.
but are former residents of the District
who have purchased large parcels Of the
land on the Rockville pike and have de-
veloped them into beautiful estates,
which have done more than anything
else to improve the complexion of the
to the District of Columbia. They are
lust individual votes. On the other
hand. IenovitZ says that he Is party
worker, and others claim that he con
trolls q lot of votes among the working
class centered around this area.
But the air is full of charges and
statements. and observers are closely
watching the situation to ascertain
whether the action of the commission
Yesterday will end the turmoil. OF
whether the decision will result in some
further action in an effort to upset the
result of the appeal from the original
ruling of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. capita
Park and Planning Commission, which