Evening star., 1949-09-02
PrinceGeorges
CitizensDen1and
Apartment Ban
Civic Federation Asks
Zoning Freeze to Halt
Further Construction

fuTtneT CONSTRUCTION
An immediate end to apart
ment house construction in Prince
Georges County was demanded
last night by the Prince Georges
Civic Federation.
The organization petitioned the
Board of County Commissioners
to freeze" the classification OF
all property now in the Residen-
tial A category and to rezone
from Residential c to Residential
A all property on which building
has not been started. Residential.
C is the classification for apart
ment buildings.
The demand was stated in
resolution sponsored by Walter
F. Mulligan of Berwyn, fedora
ton president. and adopted by
unanimous vote at a meeting IN
Hyattsville. Mr.. Mulligan report
ed that a majority of the commits
sioners had committed themselves
to support the federation's pro-
gram.
"Rape of County" Charged.
The organization acted with OBJ
vious enthusiasm after Mr.. Null
ligan denounced "the rape OF
Prince Georges County" by build
ers of apartment projects.
Apartment builders are doing
little more than putting up
enough money to buy plots OF
ground" he said. They are buy
ing property within convenient
distances of Washington, and then
obtaining construction loans
through the Federal Housing Ad-
ministration. BY clever manlpu-
lation. some are even getting back
the small funds they invest IN
the land.
"People who have studied these
projects and know all about them
call them rackets. We here IN
Prince Georges are getting the
full benefits of the rackets.'
Mr.. Mulligan declared that
taxes paid on most apartment
projects fall far short OF covering
the cost of public services to the
tenants. He stressed the costs Of
education. He cited the case OF
one development in which the
costs of educating its children
amounts to $16,712. whereas the
revenues from taxes total $11 900.
Other taxpayers have to bear the
tax burden for such services. he
said.
Schools Are Overcrowded.
Mr.. Mulligan received strong
backing from several speakers.
Daniel Greene of Avondale esti-
mated that apartment families
send at least 10000 children to
the county public schools.
That's why the schools are
overcrowded," he charged. And
these people are responsible for
the water shortage. This is why
you can't use your garden hose TO
spray your lawn.
"Of course, we know that for
many years Washington has been
the home of cliff dwellers. but
there's no reason why we in
Prince Georges should continue
to allow this invasion.
"A great many of the apart
ment builders don't even live in
the country, they come out here
only because they can get good
land attractively located. I can't
understand why attorneys who are
interested in the welfare of the
county will take all these (zoning)
cases before the commissioners"
Central Post Office Sought.
On motion of Mrs. Betty Tay-
man of Cheverly, indorsed by
Harry A. L. Barker of Riverdale,
the federation advocated the
establishment of a central post
office for the communities of
Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Col
lege Park, Riverdale, Brentwood,
Bladensburg, Berwyn, Lanham.
Landover and Branchville, and
other branch postoffices.
Several delegates requested,
however, that they be recorded
as not voting on the proposal.
They wanted to get instructions
from their local associa tions.
Eventually, President Mulligan
appointed a f1ve-member commit
tee to look into the matter.
Mr.. Barker, chairman of the
Postal Committee of the Prince
Georges Chamber of Commerce
and former mayor of Riverdale,
asserted that one reason for a
central postoffice would be to
keep Montgomery County from
encroaching upon u.s." He said
encroachment is evident in the
extension of mail service from
Silver Spring into Prince Georges.
Mrs. Tayman said that. in addi-
tion to improving mail service,
the central postofice would in
directly help bring about more
proper telephone listings.
The federation admitted Lewis
dale and Oxon Hill associations to
membership.
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