Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
.Lourdes Parish
Fights Rezoning
Of Hagner Tract
Archbishop's Letter
Read at Hearing
In Bethesda

The proposed rezontng Tor bue%
mess OF the Hagner tract on tho
north side Of East-West highway
near Wisconsin avenue was Wgor-
ously opposed by representatives Of
Our Lady Of Lourdes Parish at .
before county commission
ers in the Bethesda County Build.
ing yesterday afternoon.
Application for the hearing had
been filed by Robert Peter and Vi
Wan v. Simpson, trustees Of the
property, who were represented at
the hearing by Joseph Simpson,
attorney.
Robert D. Hagner, part owner
and present occupant of the tract,
now zoned as residential A, testified
that numerous protests to his
chicken houses and horse stable
have been filed by his neighbors.
Claims Unsuitability.
For this reason, he said, he feels
that the property is no longer suit
able for residential purposes. Should
1t be rezoned, as trustees have re-
queSted, he plans to erect stores
and possibly an office building on
the front and an apartment house
on the rear, he said.
Represented by George H. Zeut-
zius, attorney, Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish, which owns a church, con-
vent and school in the neighbor-
hood of the Hagner tract, made tho
following claims in protesting pro-
posed rezoning:
l. There is an overabundance OF
commercial coming on Wisconsin
avenue and Georgetown road.
2. The rezoning of the Hagner
tract would impair the value of the
church, school and convent.
3. Commercial property SO near
the Lady of Lourdes School would
imperil the safety of school children.
A protesting petition was presented
to the Board of County Commits
sioners signed by $50 parishioners.
A letter of protest from the Most
Rev. Michael j. Curley, Archbishop
of Baltimore and Washington, was
read. Also testifying in opposition
TO the rezoning were the Rev. Joseph
Little, the Rev. John Sweeney and
the Rev. John Pond, pastors of the
local parish, and Mrs Emil Gioiosa,
treasurer of the Mothers Club of
Our Lady of Lourdes School. Eleven
members of the club attended the
hearing.
Contradiction Cited.
Father Pond declared the estab-
lishment of commercial coming next
door to schools would be In direct
contradiction to the policy of the
Observation-Disclosures Capital Park
and Planning Commission of keep
ing schools away from commercial
areas.
Present at the hearing were 1t.
Col. E. Brooke Lee. recently ap-
pointed as a member of the COM
mission for Montgomery County.
and Fred Tuemmler, planning d.
rector for the commission.
Later in the afternoon approx
mately IS persons from the Sligo
Park Hills area appeared at a hear
ing in Silver Spring to oppose the
application of the Maryland Real
Estate Co. for rezoning from resi-
dental A to residential c of 9 site
at Silver Spring avenue and Piney
Branch road.
In requesting the rezoning, ].
Ingram Madley, president of the
finn, said there already is CONNER
cial and apartment coming in the
immediate vicinity.
Presents Protest.
Edwin F. Neubecker presented q
protest signed by residents in the
area adjoining the site. Directors
claimed it would be spot zoning and
would depreciate the value of the
high-class residential section in that
vicinity.
Mrs. William Dahl urged that
hearings on coming be held at night
so that persons objecting to recon-
ing would have an opportunity to
present their views.
No opposition was voiced TO the
application of Robert G.. Searcy.
who asked reclassiflcation from resi-
Dental B to residential C of two
lots in the 700 block Of Hudson ave-
nue., Takoma Park.
The commissioners took all cases
under advisement.