Evening star., 1946-04-08
Montgomery Owners
Promised Details on
Northwest Freeway

A clear-cut GennltlOn or the rlght-
of-way for the proposed Northwest
FreeWay has not yet been estab-
lished, but Montgomery County
property owners will be given ade-
quate information when an exact
route is determined, Fred w.
Tuemmler, chief engineer of the
Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, has an
nounced.
Until now, the closest approXima-
ton Of the route to be followed by
the dual-lane, high-speed, limited
access artery is preliminary sur
Vey by the State Roads Commission.
This tentative study covers an 300
foot wide strip leading from Mac
Arthur boulevard west of DelCarlia
Reservoir, and passing through
Bradley Hills and west Of Bethesda,
Rockville and Gaithersburg to join
Route 240 three miles north Of the
latter town
Most of the right Of way prob
ably will lie somewhere within this
ever, after discussing problems re-
latlrg TO some of the thickly
developed communities with Wilson
T. Ballard, chief engineer Of the
Roads Commission, the latter as
serted There nothing sacred about
that strip and conceded that some
revisions may have to be made in
the general plan, according to MI
Tuemmler.
To Seek Bond Issue.
When the Board OF County Com
miSsioners meets tomorrow il will
study a request by Park Commits
sioner E. Brooke Lee that early ac-
ton be taken to authorize a bond
issue TO raise fundS-later to be
repaid-for acquisition Of rights OF
way Mr. Lee said:
1t is my considered opinion that
the owners of development property
located across this proposed right
Of way or which is Immediately af-
fected as to subdivision plan by the
proximity of the right of way. are
entitled 10 an early, a prompt and
in fact, almost an immediate ad-
juStment of their property values to
enable them to proceed with the de-
velOpment on the approaching
building market and that these
property owners are further entitled
TO prompt payment for the portions
Of their respective oWnersfips that
will be acquired either by purchase
or condemnation
At the same meeting the commits
sioners also will have before them a
request that no action be taken on
the planning commissioner request
until property owners in the Bradley
Hills community have an opportun-
ity to state their objections
No Definite Route Implied.
This latter request was made in a
letter to the board by Louis A. Gra-
velle. chairman Of the Roads Com
mlttee of the Bradley Boulevard
Citizens Association.
Mr.. Tuemmler declared the re-
quest that funds be made available
Immediately does not carry with it
the implication that definite route
has been determined. As to the 800
foot strip passing through Bradley
Hills, he said:
A part of the commissions pre-
iminary study involved a series OF
aerial maps on which Typographical
( features were drawn. The 800-foot
strip was laid out on the series OF
air photographs which covered ter
ritory about a mile wide. When
Bradley Hills residents discovered
the strip passed through their COM
munity he discussed the matter
with Mr.. Ballard, pointing out that
/ the planning commission had rec
commended a route through more
undeveloped property in that area
; The State official then indicated
that revisions may be necessary tc
the tentative program.
No Conflict in Decision.
Mr.. Tuemmler said that. while the
roads commission, which will builc
| the freeway with Federal aid, vii
have final authority to approve tht
route. he did not anticipate an,
conflict between its final decision
and recommendation of the loca
planning agency.
! The tentative strip does not mea1
that the right Of way to be acquired
will be 800 feet wide, Mr.. Tuemmle
said. He estimated that it woult
vary between 300 and 400 feet il
width, depending upon topography
community development and othe
engineering factors.
In line with the park commits
sioner's request for early action, MI
Tuemmler said the planning com
mission has asked the State Road
Commission to speed up its studio
to bring out more definite plans
Specific right-of-way boundarie
are expected within the near future
he said.