Evening star., 1940-08-07
Montgomery Board
Studies Airport Plea
Opposed by Residents
Application for Privote
Flying Club Is Hit
At Long Hearing

Sharp differences of opinion on
the desirability of a private avia-
ton club in a community were
aired yesterday at a hearing before
the Montgomery County Board OF
Commissioners at Rockville, Mdr i
The unanimous sentiment OF
farmers, residents and real estate
men who crowded the courthouse
hearing room was against the ap-
plication of the Potomac Aviation
Country Club to establish a private
flying field on the Great Falls road
half a mile west of Potomac.
Representatives of the club and
aeronautical organizations pointed
to the need for additional air fields
for national defense and insisted
that such an establishment would
be an asset to any community in
which it was located. Including the
cross-examination of witnesses by
persons in the audience, the hear
ing lasted nearly three hours. The
board took the case under advise
ment. promising to make a deci-
sion at an early date.
Noise and CommerciaIism Hit.
Mrs. Lille Stone of Potomac told
the board that her family had al
ways been interested in national
defense, and some of her ancestors
had fought in the American Revo-
luton, but that she objected to
establishment of the airport.
Mrs. G. M. Hostetler of Glen also
said she thought an airport would
be Objectionable.
Lee Counselman of the Bradley
Farms property on River road near
Potomac declared that many of
the real estate projects in that
vicinity would be impaired by the
noise and commerciaiism of an air
port.
Robert D. Hagner, former county
commissioner; Randall H. Hagner
and several other real estate men
testified that the airport, in their
opinion, would depreciate property
values, and DR.. Robert E. Moran,
Richmond B. Keech of the Wash
ington Public Utilities Commission
and others, who own property or
homes nearby, testified they had
come out into that section. to get
away from the noise of the city
and be able to rest and objected
to the prospect of an airport nearby.
Airport Ruined" Property.
The board also was told that
property in the vicinity of Congres-
sional Airport on the Rockville pike
had been ruined for residential
development because of the opera
ton of planes from the flying field.
Edward S. Northrup, counsel for
the club, introduced several wit
nesses to the board, the first of
whom, Chester Warrenton, a World
War pilot and president of the
Washington Air Derby Association,
testified that aviation was still in its
infancy and that the present ma
tional defense program would result
in the training of thousands of
pilots. A large proportion of these
pilots would eventually own their
own planes, he said, and the pro-
posed club would offer them an op-
portunity to fly and at the same
time be an asset in the national de-
tense program. The Congressional
Airport on the Rockville pike was
not suited to landing by military
planes, he said,
G.. de Freest Larner OF Charles
County, another World War pilot
and recently appointed general
manager of the National Aero
nautical Association, told the board
the clup would be a fine thing for
the community and national de-
fense, and that small, low-powered
planes such as are commonly used in
flying really do not make much
noise.
Robert Y. Tabler, promoter OF the
club, outlined briefly plans for con-
fstructfffg the landing field and hang
E4fSzgnodeling a farmhouse into a
club Building and laying out tennis
and padminton courts and SWIM
ming pool. Z
4