Evening star., 1949-09-08
Fairfax Board
To Study Lifting
Of Rent Curbs
Supervisors Refuse
To OK Referendum
On Manager Setup

AiiC oi Adh SOollIy DOdlu VI
Supervisors yesterday agreed to
consider whether they will request
the lifting of government rent
control in the county.
In other action, the board de-
clined to ask the Fairfax Circuit
Court to authorize a referendum
on the adoption of the county
manager form of government.
Action on ending rent control
was urged in a communication to
the board from the York County
Board of Supervisors. which
passed resolution July 81 asking
the lifting of ceilings.
Four members of the Fairfax
board said yesterday that they
favor abolishing controls. Two
members, c. B. Runyon of the
Falls Church district and Maurice
w. Fox of Dranesville, did not ex-
press an opinion.
Report Directed.
Commemorative Attorney Hugh
B. Marsh was asked to report to
the board at a special meeting
Monday on the procedure for TAX
ing action on rents.
In declining to take the initia-
tive on the manager referendum
board members said they believed
an alternate method of petition by
the people would be more salts
factory.
Harold A. Ward, former presi-
dent of the Fairfax County Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations,
urged the board to ask the circuit
court to have the proposal placed
on the ballot for the general elec-
ton in November.
Mr.. Ward, who spoke against a
Falls Church proposal to annex
adjacent Fairfax County territory
in a debate Tuesday, told the
supervisors that if the county had
the manager form of government,
it would have "a better case in
fighting annexation.
Tiebreaker Casts First Vote.
Falls Church and Alexandria
annexation ambitions, Mr.. Ward
declared. placed in jeopardy ap-
proximately one-half of the coun-
tvs assessed valuation. He warned
that successful suits by the two
cities would double the tax rate
for the remainder of the county"
A petition to have the proposal
placed on the ballot would require
signatures of 10 per cent of the
qualified voters in the county. Mr..
Ward said that he hopes to or
ganize a drive for between $500
and 5000 signatures to assure a
vote on the plan.
The boards ie-breaker voted
yesterday for the first time in
more, than two years. r. Ludwell
Popkins, 73-year-old Groveton
resident, was called in to break
tie vote recorded on August II
on proposed rezoning on the
north side of Leesburg pike op-
posite the Parkwood apartments.
Opposes Request.
Mr.. Popkins voted against the
Crestwood Construction Corp. s
request for rezoning of 13 acres
from suburban to urban. The tie
breaker said he believed that lots
with 60-foot frontage are toe
small for that area.
The State Highway Department
informed the board that it is "en-
tirely neutral" regarding a re-
quest by Vernon M. Lynch &,
Sons for rezoning to general
business of the northwest corner
of the intersection of the new
Shirley highway and Franconia
road.
Action on the application was
deferred last month pending
recommendation on the proposal
by the highway department and
the Northern Virginia Regional
Planning Commission. The re-
gional planners meet Septem-
ber %.
The supervisors agreed to tour
the new highway before acting
on the Lynch request.
Mrs. Edna Bicksler was ap-
pointed acting executive secretary
Of the board in the absence of
r. M. Loughborough. who is re-
covering from an operation at an
Alexandria hospital.