Evening star., 1941-06-27
Ladis|as Segoe Urged
To Draw Master Plan
For Montgomery
Seven Hearings Held
After Moratorium
Is Rescinded

LadiSlaS Segoe, nationally-known
city planner, has been recommended
as the technical expert to draft a
master zoning plan for Montgom-
cry County, it was disclosed at a
meeting of the county commission
ers yesterday at which a mora
torium" on certain types of rezoning
was reScinded.
Recommendation of Mr.. Segoe
was made in a letter to the COM
missioners by Alfred Bettman Of
Cincinnati, legal and procedural eX-
pert on zoning matters. who was
offered a position as advisor in
drafting a master plan.
Now in Private Practice.
From 1926 to 1928 he initiated
and was first planning engineer of
the Cincinnati City Planning Com
mission. Since 1928 he has been a
consultant in private practice, and
has prepared regional plans, zoning
ordinances, housing studies and
similar projects in many Mid
western communities.
The moratorium" on certain
types of rezoning in Montgomery
County. Md, was rescinded today as
the commissioners prepared to pass
on petition to establish an apart
ment house classification in Sligo
Park Hills in Silver Spring tonight.
The commissioners called special
meeting late yesterday afternoon to
rescind resolutions which had de-
clared the moratorium until after
a master city development plan had
been evolved for the suburban area
Of the county by Mr.. Bettman.
Yesterdays meeting was called
after an executive conference had
been held between county organiza-
tion Democrats, including members
of the Board of Commissioners and
the Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, and Mr.
Bettman.
In announcing the results of the
executive session, Thomas E. Hamp-
ton, president of the County Board
of Commissioners, yesterday pre-
sented two resolutions which he said
had been approved by Mr.. Bettman.
One of yesterdays measures re-
scinded the former moratorium res
olutions which had also provided for
the employment of Mr.. Bettman at
$50 day plus subsistence and trav-
cling expenses. The second measure
adopted yesterday requested the
services of Mr.. Bettman and a tech
nical assistant, but no provision was
made for the salary to be paid the
Cincinnati expert.
Public hearings on seven petitions
for rezoning we're held by the COM
missioners yesterday.
Five of the hearings were held at
Silver Spring yesterday afternoon,
but those producing the greatest op-
position were two held at Bethesda
last night on the request of Ralph
S. and Abraham Morrison to re-
classify two tracts on Edgemoor
lane, Bethesda, from their present
residential A status.
Petition Opposes Change.
The petitioners sought to rezone
a strip of about so feet on the north
side of the street near Wisconsin
avenue to commercial. A 15-foot
strip of land now zoned residential
G intervenes between the north side
tract and an existing commercial
zone. The petitioners also sought
to change the tract on the south side
and fronting the lane about 200 feet
to residential C classification. This
tract ADULTS similarly zoned piece
of land.
James w. Gill and two Bethesda
real estate operators, Samuel E.
Stonebraker and Samuel Bogley,
spoke in behalf of the petition.
Carey Quinn and Frederic P. Lee,
both of the Edgemoor Citizens
Association, opposed the change be-
cause they held it would depreciate
land values. A petition signed by
302 residents protesting the pro-
posed rezoning was offered by
Stephen L. Gregg. The rezoning
petitions were taken under advise
ment.