Evening star., 1949-09-21
Vast Apartment.
Plan Urged for
Bethesda Area
Planners Recommend
Project in Permanent
Zonine Program
By John V. Homer


By John v. Horner
A vast apartment development
program in the Bethesda Chevy
Chase area was recommended to.
day in connection with plan for
permanent zoning of that subur.
ban community.
The recommendations were SUBJ
mitted to the Montgomery County
Council by the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission after several years of
study. They constitute one of
the most comprehensive zoning
reports made by the planners.
Under the plan. Bethesda and
Chevy Chase would be converted
from village status to the equiva-
lent of a thriving city.
Specifically, the commission
recommended that four large
areas be set aside now for apart
ment projects. They are:
l. A 46-acre tract on Jones
Bridge road, between the Naval
Medical Center and Connecticut
avenue, on which Eugene B. Ca
sey, one-time executive assistant
to President Roosevelt, plans to
construct a 1,500-unit costing
SIC, 100000.
4O0-Foot-Wide Zoning Strip.
2. The western side of Wiscon-
sin avenue, virtually the entire
distance from the District line
north to Bradley boulevard. This
zoning strip would be 400 feet
wide. It would miss touching the
District line only by the size of
a tract on which Woodward &
Lothrop will build a large branch
store at Western, Willard and
Wisconsin avenues.
3. The eastern side of Wiscon-
sin avenue from the District line
north to Oliver street. With an
eye to the possibility that property
Of the Chevy Chase Country Club
eventually may be converted to
other use, the commission pro-
posed that the council give a ''fu-
ture" apartment designation to
the east side of Wisconsin avenue
from Oliver street north to Brad
ley lane. The eastern Wisconsin
avenue strip also would be 400 feet
wide.
4. Both sides of Battery lane
from Glenbrook parkway to Wis
consin avenue. This area is just
south of the National Institutes of
Health and Just north of the
Woodmont triangle area. It would
serve as a buffer"
Expanded Business District.
# the commissions recommen-
|dations should be approved, the
Bethesda business district would
expand along Wisconsin avenue
north of East-West highway,
rather than south from Bradley
boulevard toward the new Wood.
ward & Lothrop store.
The commission said apartment
expansion is necessary to meet the
demands Of increasing personnel
at the health institutes and the
business Stimulus sure to come
with the new department store.
It said Bethesda will become the
health center of the world"
Planning Commission officials
said the new recommendations
call for the logical containment of
the Bethesda business district and
provide for apartment facilities
without disturbing the principal
detached home areas.
E. Brooke Lee, vice chairman
OF the commission. said that un-
der the commission plan, the
Bethesda business district could
double In size.
The recommendations were
made public in connection with
the commissions Endorsement Of
the Casey apartment Develop
ment.
A public hearing on the Casey
rezoning application had been
scheduled tonight in Bethesda but
1t was Cancelled yesterday by the
County Council for technical rea-
sons.
Alfred D. Noyes, attorney for
the Casey interests, withdrew the
rezoning application temporarily
because coming notices were not
posted the full length of time re-
quired by law. He indicated the
application would be renewed
soon, possibly in October.
Rezoning May Be Asked.
The planning commission said
that if the recently zoned status
Of the Pooks Hill estate for apart
ment use continues. the council
should rezone the western section
of the property for detached resi-
Dental use. This would keep
apartment developments from pro-
truding westward into the de-
tached-home communities along
Beech avenue and those east Of
Alta Vista. the commission said.
# the Wisconsin avenue portion
OF PookS Hill Is to continue to be
available for apartments, the COM
recommended that all
on Wisconsin avenue be-
tween Cedar lane and Grosvenor
lane be made available for i'm
mediate apartment use. It pro-
posed strip 1000 feet deep.
Three West Point Cadets
10 Be Picked in Test Here
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