Evening star., 1950-02-02

CutsAcreageof
Apartment Sites
Hearing Set March ID
On Chevy Chase and
Bethesda Proposals
ByJ. B. Zotmon

"A new, pTOpOSGu HO1llllS pldH
Tor the Bethesda Chevy Chase
area which recommends that 264
acres be set aside for future
apartment use was made public
today.
This represents a sharp reduce
ton from the 421 acres suggested
for apartment zoning in recon-
announced last Sep
,ember by the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
A public hearing on the revised
plan will be held before the
planning agency at pm March
Ia in the Bethesda Elementary
School. The commission then will
act on the proposals and trans
NIT them with its recommended
lions to the Montgomery County
Council.
Map Copies Available.
The council may adopt the plan
either as guide to future zoning
or as an actual amendment to
the zoning map. The council has
to change the plan be-
fore taking final action.
Copies of the new plan as well
as maps showing existing zoning
in the area are
available in the Commission Of
flee, $500 Colesville road, Silver
Spring, and at the Bethesda
County Building.
Interest in the commissions new
recommendations is heightened
because of change in it's men,
bership: E. Brooke Lee, county
Democratic leader, resigned about
two months ago as vice chairman
of the planning agency and was
succeeded by his son, Blair Lee III.
The new vice chairman said the
commission will recommend to the
council that it adopt the plan as a
guide rather than as a mass re-
zoning of the properties involved.
Anticipates Needs.
Declaring that the plan is de-
signed to anticipate the areas
need for apartments. commercial
and industrial development for at
least the next five years. Mr.. Lee
said:
Orderly planning and con-
struction of public facilities will
be aided if apartment rezoning
proceeds at a moderate pace"
He said the commission also
feels the council should reject
rezoning petitions representing
single lots or small groups of lots
in sections recommended for
apartment use.
Major deletions from the areas
recommended for apartment use
in last years proposals:
/. A strip of land along both
sides of Wisconsin avenue from
point south of Dorset avenue to
Nottingham drive. one block south
of Bradley boulevard.
2. A large tract of land on the
west side of Wisconsin avenue be-
tween Cedar lane and the Pooks
Hill estate. An application by the
White Fathers of Africa for re-
of the 1712 acres to
permit erection of a 100000.
12-story apartment house is pend
ing before the council.
8. Property bounded by Inver-
ness drive, Kensington parkway.
Connecticut avenue and Rock
Creek, adjacent to the residential
of North Chevy Chase.
4. Land along the south side OF
he National Institute of Health
ust west of the proposed extern
sion of Glenbrook parkway.
At the same time, the revised
olan recommends for apartment
Use 64-acre tract on the west
;ide of Wisconsin avenue north Of
Irosvenor lane. This land was
from the areas suggested
:or apartments in the September
nap.
Owners of the property, the
heirs of the late Charles I. Corby.
wealthy baker, recently withdrew
their application for apartment
'ezoning pending completion of
,he commissions new plan.
Other large tracts recommended
Tor apartment use in the revised
plan are the 46-acre Casey pro-
perty between the Bethesda Naval
Medical Center and Connecticut
avenue and land owned by Gill
bert Grosvenor. president of the
National Geographic Society, on
the west side of Wisconsin ave-
nue. south of Grosvenor lane.
Both tracts were included in
the areas suggested for apart
nent rezoning last September.
An application for the reclassi-
acation of the Casey tract to
apartment use also is pending be-
fore the council. The petition was
fled by Miss Virginia Casey for
1er father, Eugene B. Casey. for
ner special assistant to Presi-
lent Roosevelt.
In all cases of recommended
apartment zoning. the Commis-
ion suggested that additional
,uffer strips of 200-feet from the
enter lines of main roads remain
n residential A classification.
Finally, the commission recon-
nended:
/. Apartment coming for "stra-
egic strips of land" designed to
the central Bethesda bus
ness district and the commercial
!rea at Western avenue and the
District line from "stringing out"
long Wisconsin avenue.
2. Minor additions to the COM
nercia1 zone in the Bethesda bus
ness district and the establish
nent of small neighborhood shop
ling centers at the intersections
t Grosvenor lane and Old George
own road and Massachusetts, ave-
lue and Goldsborough road.