Evening star., 1948-12-22
County Board 2-to-2
Vote Fails 10 Decide
zoning for Apartment

Inc 1uCuT6 Oh a PROPOSED Cof- ulllI
apartment development on Chill
lum road in Michigan Park Hills
remained undecided today, following
disagreement by the Prince Georges
County Commissioners on whether
to. rezone the property to permit
sucn construction.
The commissioners ye st e r d y
voted 2 to 2 on the issue. The fifth
commissioner, T. Hammond Welsh,
Withdrew from participation in the
voting, because the agent for own
ers of the property is his son, T.
Hammond Welsh, jr., an agent at
torney.
The commissioners, after reach
ing their stalemate, also differed on
whether the issues now is settled.
The concensus, however, was that
failure to approve the rezoning is
the same effect as If it were denied.
Neither the commissioners nor their
attorney we're certain of what the
next step would be. but they said it
would be UP to the applicant.
Protested at Hearing.
Final action on the rezoning
petition was postponed from last
Wednesday. at which time scores of
residents of the surrounding area
appeared in protest during a public
zoning hearing at Hyattsville. The
apartments were to be built on a
tract of more than 10 acres on Chill
lum road, near Sargent road. Com.
mercial zoning also was sought by
the younger Mr.. Welsh for adjoining
property at the corner of the two
roads.
Commissioner John H. Beall, ir
whose election district the site is sit.
uated, and Commissioner D. Leonard
Dyer voted against the rezoning
while Commissioners Norman H
Collins and Harry w. McNamee, the
board president, voted for it,
Mr.. Beall contended Mr.. Nc
Namee's vote was improper because
of his position as the board pres
ident. He asserted that. in his
opinion, the petition was denied,
2 to l.
Mr.. McNamee. however, said he
voted after consulting the boards
attorney. Waldo Burnside.
Assessor Policies Backed.
In other business during their
weekly session at Upper Marlboro
the commissioners re-afirmed their
support of the policies followed by
County Tax Assessor Louis w.
Kutsch in assessing apartments of
the county.
In doing so the county heads
denied a request by Edward A. Will
son, owner of an apartment build
ing in Laurel, for a tax reduction
on his property. Mr.. Wilson told
the commissioners his property, as
sessed at $1,000 in 1899 before the
structure was converted from an old
mill into apartments. now is as
sessed at $4,000. He contended this
was too high, although he conceded
that he receives about $1,000 a year
from rents.
During this hearing Mr.. Kutsch
said the State Tax Commission also
had supported his apartment as
sessing policies recently when it
turned down appeals by owners of
the Haywood Gardens, Mount
Rainier, and the University Apart
ments. College Park.
Dredging Permit Opposed.
Mr.. Kutsch said the county cur
rently is engaged in a rotating
five-year re-assessment program,
whereby properties are examined
and re-assessed accordingly every
five years.
The commissioners also went on
record yesterday as opposing re-
newal by the Army Corps OF
Engineers Of permit to dredge
sand and gravel in Oxon Greek be-
tween Fox Ferry and Roster Bluff,
near the Potomac River. The per-
mission is being sought by the
Smoot' Sand and Gravel Co. of
Washington.
The College Park PTA advised
the commissioners that 1t favors
installation of a county library
within its community, but the COM
missioners took no action.
designations of Herdon Peach,
ST., as a tax assessor for the county,
and Richard H. Slingluff, as a di-
rector of the Prince Georges Gen.
eral Hospital, were accepted by the
commissioners.