Evening star., 1950-07-18
Welsh Offers 10 Sell
Or Donate Land in
Church Annex Row

Prince Georges County Com
missioner T. Hammond Welsh has
offered to sell or donate land to
the Hyattsville Presbyterian
Church in an attempt to settle a
dispute over construction of a
church annex.
The offer was made last night
before Mayor Caesar Aiello and
the Hyattsville City Council. The
council sat in the role of peace
maker in the dispute, which the
church says may cost it nearly
$4,000.
With Mr.. Welsh and members
of the church's building council
and a delegation of parishioners
present. the council heard the
sequence Of events that ultimately
may reach the Maryland Court OF
Appeals for a final decision.
Permit Revoked.
The substantial financial loss,
according to the church officials,
may accrue because a building
permit for the church annex was
revoked by the MarYland-N
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission after construction
had started. The permit was with
drawn because it had been issued
in error. the commission stated.
The church says Mr.. Welsh,
who owns a house next to it, COM
planned to the planning commits
sion the proposed annex extended
too far beyond the street building
line.
AS to the church, the Rev. D.
Hobart Evans, minister, pointed
out that suggestions ito help the
church." which were made by MIR.
Welsh, would be conveyed to the
congregation when it meets again
at an unspecified date.
The first to be heard last night,
Mr.. Welsh read from prepared
statement, which outlined his
stand and at the same time ex-
pressed sympathy with the church
and many of it's members whom
he has known for a long time.
Offers to Sell Property.
The matter. which already has
resulted in court decision
against the church. brought from
Mr.. Welsh an offer to sell his
property for $12.5OO. But, he said,
he has been advised by T. Howard
Duckett. the church's attorney,
that in the latter's opinion, the
congregation was not going to
purchase the property, but was
going ahead with the building.
taking whatever chances they had
to-"
In expressing the opinion that
newspaper articles have accused"
him of trying to "sell a dilapidated
property at an exhorbitant fig
ure," Mr.. Welsh stressed that 9TH
er properties in the immediate
area have sold in recent years at
comparable prices.
IF the church had kept it's part
of the agreement by not going
ahead with the construction, the
loss would have been negligible, +"
Mr.. Welsh contended. ANY loss
suffered by the church is the re-
suit of a wilful violation of the
agreement, upon advice of coun-
sell"
He said he was still willing to
meet with church officials to see
whether their desired improve
ments cannot be erected in part
upon land belonging to them and
land belonging to him. "If this
can be done without very sub
stantial financial loss to me, will
donate my land for that purpose, /"
Mr.. Welsh added.
$4,000 in Obligations.
William E. Roll, chairman of
the church's building committee,
said the contractor already has
purchased more than $4,000 worth
OF materials for the church annex,
which cannot be used for any
other purpose and that the con-
gregation's obligations for con-
struction already total nearly
$4,000.
Mr.. Roll added that the con-
gregation could not possibly obli-
gate itself for the additional
$12,50 Mr.. Welsh wants for the
property.
The planning commission was
represented at the meeting by
Herbert Wells, and J. Bond Smith,
its attorney.