Evening star., 1947-06-25
Montgomery Studies
Plan for Huge Hotel
|0n Rockville Pike

|On Rockville Pike
A rezoning petition which would
permit construction of a SIC, ,000, 900
apartment hotel on the 104-acre
Pook's Hill estate on the Rockville
pike near Bethesda was being
studied today by the Montgomery
County Commissioners.
The petition was one Of IA heard
yesterday by the commissioners In
Rockville and taken under advise
ment.
The request to rezone the wartime
home of Crown Princess Martha of
Norway, from residential A to apart
ment house use, was filed by Doris
Lowe, listed as the owner.
Plan 8 and 10 Story Buildings.
The tract formerly was owned by
Merle Thorpe. editor Of Nations
Business, official organ of the United
States Chamber of Commerce.
Harry H. Brodie, Washington
builder, who made the $4,000, 900
estimate, said it is planned to erect
8 and 10 story buildings. He said
said construction would start soon
and provide 1000 units.
The project would be financed by
the Sun Life Assurance Co. of Can
ada, according to Mr.. Brodie, and
is designed to provide housing for
employees of the Naval Medical Gen.
ter, the National Institute of Health
and. the Cancer Institute. all of
which are about mile from the
property Shannon & Luchs Co. will
be the managing agent.
Mr.. Brodie added the house on
the land would be retained for use
as a community house for tenants
of the projected apartment hotel
He said the project would compare
with the Shoreham Hotel in Wash
ington.
RecreationaI Units Proposed.
/ The Washington builder con-
tended the land is not suited fol-
single-family homes and that it is
proposed to use only 40 of the l04
acres for the apartment hotel.
There will be about 25 acres
around the proposed community
house and we expect to have q
swimming pool, tennis and handball
courts and other recreational facil-
ities," Mr.. Brodie said.
Walter w. Dawson, attorney fol
the petitioner, said if the apartment
is built, the applicant will ask fol
commercial zoning to permit stores
He read letters from officials OF
/ the National Institute of Health
the Naval Medical Center and Gill
bert Grosvenor, president of the Ma
tional Geographic Society, APPROX
ing the petition. Mr.. Grosvenor
property adjoins the Pook's Hill
tract.
Land Pledged for School.
Mr.. Dawson also promised that
sufflcient land will be set aside for
a school site If 1t is found necessary
Only two persons appeared in op-
position to the petition. Robert
Myers, attorney for Charles Hawley
who lives nearby, said approval OF
the request would constitute spot
zoning and "in the long run would
work to the detriment of the entire
county"
The second opponent was Mrs
Daisy I. Wilton. who lives next to
Mr.. Hawley. She also protested the
proposed rezoning on the ground
the area is composed of single
family homes.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion, in opposing the project, said
1T is evident the applicants pro-
posal Is entirely out of harmony
with the established trend of COM
munity development in this area.
Petition Held "Opportunistic."
"Ihis appears to be another OF
several opportunistic and specula-
tive applications, filed during this
period, for reclassification of land
without consideration of existing
land uses in the general area"
Other petitions heard were:
| w. C. & A. N Miller Development Co
residential and to residential C ant
| commercial D of 20-acre tract or
| Sangamore road opposite the Army Mar
| Service, Bethesda.
Ralph G. Shure. residential A to COM
| mercial D of three lots on the north side
of Maple avenue between Park and Grant
avenues, Takoma Park.
Lewis F. Hobbs, residential A to com.
mercial Of q, tract Of land on, the, east
| Briggs Investment Corp, residential A
to commercial D of 10 acres in the Park
| wood subdivision, Kensington.
Briggs Investment Corp, residential A
to G of 10.9 acres in the Parkwood sub
| division.
Chris James and George Timber, resi-.
| Dental to commercial d of property or
the west side of Georgia avenue neal
i g. N. Keller, residential A to CONNER
eial D Of land along Colesville road be
| Timoerwood avenue near -Four Corners.
| George j. Moss, residential to com
mercial D of land on Old Bladensburi
road between the Wodmoor shopping cen
! ter and Lexington drive, Woodmoor
/ w. W. Rapley, residential A to of q.
acres along the Montg ONE ry-P Primo,
1 Georges County line near University lane
1 Arthur C. Hyde, residential A to com
/ mercial D of SO acres of Congressiona
AIRPORT property on the west side of tn,
Roy r. and Elsie M Hunt, residential
to, commercial D of two lots on the norti
the Viers Mill road.
Il Roger w. Eisinger, residential A to {
Of land on the north side of Jones Bridg
j road, Bethesda