Evening star., 1938-04-03
Commissioner Hagner Is
Seeking Condemnation
Proceedings.
WILL OFFER RESOLUTION
AT MEETING TUESDAY
Refusal to Sell at $4,000 Was
Based on Acreage Assessments,
He Declares.

The proposal to urge the Maryland
State Roads Commission to purchase
the Capital Transit Co. right of way
on Connecticut avenue from Chevy
Chase Circle to Chevy Chase Lake for
$4,000 so that it could be paved I'M
mediately, was vigorously opposed yes
terday by Commissioner Robert D.
Hagner of the western suburban dis
trict OF Montgomery County
The price suggested by the group
OF property owners along Connecticut
avenue at meeting Thursday in the
office of Washington l. Cleveland,
manager of the District Motor Club
OF the A. A. A.. was described by Mr..
Hagner as 'at least three times what
it's worth"
Mr.. Hagner declared he would in
troduce a resolution at the meeting
OF the Board OF County Commissioners
Tuesday, urging the State Roads Com
mission to start condemnation pro-
ceedings against the property at once.
Il am as anxious as any one in my
district to have the old right of way
on Connecticut avenue improved" he
said, but l don't believe it is worth
any such price as $l5,00O."
Abandoned by Company.
The right Of way. 20 feet wide ex-
tending from the circle to the lake, Is
approximately Az acres and was
abandoned by the Capital Transit Co.
in 1886, when the street car tracks
were removed and the cars replaced by
buses.
Before the avenue was turned over
to the State as part of the arterial
highway system. the county board Of
fered the transit company $4,000 for
the property, which can't possibly be
used for anything but street or park
way. The company turned it down,
stating the land was on their books
at $4,000 and they couldn't sell for
less Mr.. Hagner said.
Il introduced q motion. and the
board passed it. ordering the con-
demnation proceedings started at
once. so that the strip could be i'm
proved, but no action was ever taken.
Since the State commission has taken
the avenue over understand it has
raised the offer to $4,000.
Offer Based on Assessment.
THE offer Of $4,000, which the
county board thought was fair, was
based on the assessment Of acreage
in that vicinity. 1t is certainly not
worth more than the Columbia Golf
and Country Club property at Con-
necticut avenue and East West high
way, assessed at $1,000 an acre. ANY
comparison with residential property
on Connecticut avenue is ridiculous.
A 2o-foot strip Of land in the middle
OF an arterial highway is not what
you would call nice place to live"
Mr.. Hagner explained that the
county several years ago approached
the Capital Transit Co. to purchase
the abandoned right of way from
Alta Vista to Montrose and thence to
Rockville and was advised that it was
being carried on the companys books
for about s500,00O.
THE company still owns it. Ac-
cording to reports published in the
newspapers George Dunlop, general
counsel of the Capital Transit Co.,
is one of those in favor of having
the State pay $4,000 for the strip.
But I still believe $4,000 is a good
price and that condemnation pro-
ceedings would be the only fair way
to settle the question"
Mr.. Hagner said he could not speak
for the other board members but
that several of them had expressed
the opinion that the $4,000 was lib
eral.' in view Of the fact that The
company had no use for the right OF
way and it was not saleable.