Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-09
Rockville Pike
Hotel Project
Wins Support
PIonning Commission
Approves Building
Costing 20 Million

Costing 20 Million
Declaring it regards the proposed
construction of the $20,000,000 Hotel
Diplomat on the Rockville Pike near
the Naval Medical Center as IAN
important addition to Montgomery
County" that will add to the gen.
eral welfare of the county and the
District, the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion yesterday announced its sup
port of the project.
The commissions technical staff,
in making a study of the tentative
development plan submitted with
the applicants petition asking for
rezoning of the former 116-acre
Corby estate as a hotel location,
ruled that the project would call
for commercial coming. The petit
ton, on which a hearing will be
held before the District Council
December 26, asks for rezoning from
residential A to that permitting
apartment house use
Planning Director Fred w.
Tuemmler and Chief Engineer r.
win I. Kaplan recommended to the
commission that it suggest denial
of the petition. Properties in the
area are devoted to rural residential,
agricultural and also some institu-
tional uses, they pointed out.
Members Back Plan.
The Montgomery County members
of the commission, Richard F.
Green, Clarence c. Keiser and E.
Brooke Lee, asserted, however, that
they feel the project is deserving
all reasonable approval and as
sistance of local government"
With this end in view" they
stated, 1--WE express our willing
ness to initiate petition for COM
mercial D coming, with suitable pro-
tective restrictions by way of build
ing setbacks and against the dis
play OF commercial activities Incl
dent to the hotel project on the
main road frontage of the property,
SO that the sponsors of the pro-
posed hotel may proceed with their
plans for its construction.
AS a safeguard, they said they
would request Redistribution of the
commercial coming back to its origi-
nal residential status should the
construction of the hotel not be
started within 80 months, or If Q
building permit for any other pur-
pose than that of the proposed hotel
as planned is requested for any part
OF the property.
/ A recommendation for deferment
OF action until the new petition
could be presented was made by the
commission.
Backs Shopping Center.
/ Approval of rezoning to CONNER
clal OF enough land on site near
White Oak, to permit construction
OF neighborhood shopping center
was recommended by the commits
sion. The petition has requested
Redistribution for about 51a acres
of the j. S. j. Clark estate, which
has a frontage of about $50 feet on
the east side of the White Oak
Hillandale road.
The commissions technical staff
recommended that the entire petit
ton be deferred pending a submis-
sion of a preliminary street plan.
1t voiced its opinion that the request
Is for a larger area than that re-
quired to serve the potential COM
munity.
In making its recommendation for
rezoning of portion of the property,
the commission points out that it is
located close to the 100000 Naval
] Ordnance Laboratory now under
construction, and near a number of
growing residential developments
Establishment of the proposed shop
ping center is justified because of
the anticipated increase in popula-
ton in the area, it adds.
Delay on Change Urged.
Deferment of action by the Dis
trict Council on a request for re-
classification from residential to in
. dustrial of a triangular parcel of
} land located to the west of the B. &,
O. Railroad right of way, south OF
River road, and adjoining the COM
mercial and industrial areas near
y Friendship, was recommended both
by the commission and its technical
staff.
e The delay was asked so that neces-
4 sary surveys can be made in order
: that the plan for future land use in
K the area may be reviewed more com.
e prehensively. The subject request
the staff states, is the first attempt
}. to move the present industrial dis.
i trict in a westerly direction anc
S would provide an opening wedge fol
a similar petitions,