Evening star., 1930-03-25
UNIFORM BUILDING
CODE FOR COUNTY
Planners Engineer Tells
HyattsviIIe Chamber Act
Is Vital Necessity.
Special Dispatch TO The star.


County, as BELTS the suburbs of the Ma
tion's Capital, was pictured as one of
the most vital needs of the county at
the present time by Irving c. Root,
chief engineer Of the Maryland Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission in an address before a joint
meeting of the Hyattsville Chamber Of
Commerce and the Exchange Club Of
Prince Georges County last night The
meeting was held in the parish hall OF
Pinkney Memorial Episcopal Church.
Confusion in Different Codes.
Mr.. Root pointed out that the differ
ent building codes in effect in the vari-
Gus towns made for confusion. He ex-
pressed the belief that a county build
ing inspector could do the work Of the
inspectors now functicning in the va
riouS towns and that such an official
could collect enough in fees to finance
his Office. Mr.. Root referred to the ref
erence made by Nicholas Orem, Prince
Georges County superintendent of
schools in issuing recently the financial
report of the schools for the school
year 1928-29, in which Mr.. Orem said
that it seemed the only way to
prevent undesirable types of \ cit
izenS coming into the county was to
have building code preventing persons
building veritable shacks in the county
in which to live and raise family
Permitting this class Of people to settle
In the county, Mr.. Orem pointed out,
has hurt school efficiency, as it has re-
quired the furnishing of school facili-
ties without the taxable wealth COM
menSurate with the cost.
Mr.. Root emphasized that the tax
payers of Prince Georges County must
permit the levying of 7-cent tax on
each 500 against their property for
work of the Park and Planning Com
mission If the county is to be allotted
any of the money for park develop
ment in the event of the passage by
Congress of the Cramton bill. Tax
payers OF this county are levied only
8 cents for work of the commits
sion, which does not provide for any
park development work. The county will
benefit from the proposed bill only in
TO put up some money itself for park
development work, it was stated by Mr.
Root.
To Serve People.
Declaring that the Park and Planning
Commission was established to serve the
people living within its area and that it
was working to strengthen its ordi-
nances in order to render better service,
Mr.. Root said that the commission
planned soon to ask the county commits
SionerS to pass an ordinance enabling
the commission to exercise better con-
troll over the location of billboards, hll-
ing stations and other structures which
should be located only in special areas
If they are not going to hurt the ap-
pearance of the community and hold
down property values. Incidentally, he
said the signboard people are con-
vinced that the commission means
business In its determination to break
up indiscriminate location of the signs
and are cooperating with the commits
sion.
Taxpayers Of Prince Georges County
on the basis of the Scent levy, paid
total of $10,549 last year on account OF
the Park and Planning Commission as
Sessment, Mr.. Feoot said: montgomery
County on the basis of the Scent levy
paid $4,000, he said, explaining that
Montgomery County paid more because
of the higher assessed value of the
property in the park area of that
county. Prince Georges County tax
payers contribute from 80 to 40 cents
each a year on the Scent levy, accord
ing to Mr.. Root. Montgomery in all pays
q tax of cents. OF the $10,549 paid in
Prince Georges, the county commission
ers are paid 81 900 in salaries for their
work in holding hearings on petitions
for reZoning in the county park area.
Though no park development has been
done in Prince Georges County, because
of the failure Of the taxpayers to pay
the 7-cent levy, much work has been
done by the commission In the county
In zoning. in the grading OF streets, In
the regulation Of subdivision platS and
in the approval or diSapproval of build
ing permits, Mr.. Root declared.
Mr.. Root said that Washington was
considered the best-planned large city
in the United States and emphasized
that 1t was essential that the suburbs of
the city, which are growing faster than
the city proper, he thought, must plan
for orderly development, as some day
all the metropolitan area will be one
city. He said that the suburbs of
Washington had more opportunity for
identification, in view of their scenic
advantages.
Zoning Aided Owners.
Because Of the protection it affords
property owners and the increase in
property values it brings about, it was
Mr.. Roots opinion that coming has done
much for the property owners of the
park area at most reasonable ex-
penditure.
1t was decided by the Chamber of
Commerce that it would join the State
Chamber of Commerce and it was voted
to pay the SIS membership fee re-
quested.
Action on the proposed closing Of
Michigan avenue at the railroad cross
ing in Brookland was deferred, the mat
ter being referred to the trafic and
lighting committee of the chamber.
Arthur p. Owens. president Of the
chamber, who presided over the meeting,
announced the appointment of the fol-
lowing civic committee:
Lemuel L. Gray, chairman; j. Enos
Ray, Bert H Wise, Irwin Owings and
n o. Brigham.
F. j. Little, commercial superin-
tendent of Hyattsville district, Chesa-
peake & Potomac Telephone Co., an
nounced that the formal opening Of the
new telephone building at Maryland
avenue and Frankland street would take
place April 10. He said the building now
has three stories, but later four more
may be added as the territory in this
section grows. An interesting talk and
sound motion pictures are planned for
the National Guard Armory as a fea-
ture Of the formal opening, the program
to start at pm. There will be no ad-
mission charge. Mr.. Little and William
L. Hicks. manager of the Hyattsville
Central tfice area, invited the public
to attef1d the formal opening and the
entertainment.
UAIIAI tFnhnMnI nFhR