Evening star., 1946-10-28
Park Planning
Failure CHARGE
Denied by Lee
/ Gives Point-by-Point
Answer to Criticism
By Chorterites

Charges by the Montgomery
County Charter Committee that the
Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission has
failed on six counts were quickly
denied today in q point-for point
reply from E. Brooke Lee, commits
sion vice chairman.
The present county adniniStra-
ton, the charter committee said
has stifled the commission with
words instead of action"
The Park and Planning Commis-
sion has failed to live up to Its
name" the charterites said. ''In
more than a dozen years it has
given the county neither adequate
parks nor adequate planning. :
The administration has failed on
six counts:
Long delay in q master plan.
Neglect of q storm drainage
system.
Failure to provide q comprehen.
sive highway plan.
Lack of standards for suburban
street development.
Allowing obstructions of future
rights of way for roads and park.
ways.
Building and maintenance o1
roads without reference to needs >
Charges Called inaccurate"
Mr.. Lee replied the committees
attacks were inaccurate and con-
fused"
charge No. Is false" he said
because in 1923 when the bi-
county planning commission was
created by the State Legislature
master or general plans were ap-
proved.
These plans are comprehensive
they are further constantly in the
process of being extended and
brought up to current requirements
charge No. 2 is false because
storm water drainage has not beer
neglected Prior to the recent
growth the local tax yield could moi
afford to assume the cost OF storm
water sewer construction.
'This year 100000 is being spent
by the sanitary commission to build
storm sewers in suburban Montgom-
cry County and 100000 in suburban
Prince Georges County.
Work to Be Continued.
"The Democrats plan to continue
this work at approximately the same
annual cost. The entire job is esti-
mated to represent cost Of nearly
$40, ,000, 900 in Montgomery County
suburbs alone.
charge No. 8 is false because the
highway plan is comprehensive and
the highway system Of the Maryland
State Roads Commission and the
county commissioners are good.
Charge No. 4 is false because the
sounty commissioners have for years
inforced adequate and reasonable
street construction standards through
the county engineers office.
charge No. S is false because,
since the creation of this commission
in 1923, no obstruction has been
allowed to be built in any public
highway route or park site.
Roads Built Where Needed.
charge No. is false because
the State Roads Commission and
the county commissioners have built
the roads where the people live and
the communities need road service.
"Tne further charge that building
permits are issued by the county
without regard to planning is
doubly false because this commits
sion issues the building permits
and does the planning.
The Charter Committee asserted
confusion over plans for freeway
or superhighway to Washington
through the county illustrates neg
lect and procrastination.
1.-The final selection Of a route
was made recently as last-minute
move to meet an emergency situa-
ton. Even then the action was
bungled by the planning commits
sioners who failed to coordinate the
route with District of Columbia au-
thorities.
In the case of the Northern
parkway in the Silver Spring area,
builders were allowed to develop
private properties without regard
for plans for future development OF
. park system"
Mr.. Lees reply to this was:
THE Northwest Freeway route i
. local planning effort to locate
wisely and well ahead of construc-
ton this important future inter.
regional highway.
THE freeway will not be buili
until Congress makes the money
available to start 5000 miles o1
inter-city construction throughout
the Nation. At the earliest this will
be several years"