The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-10-12


gestion of the Planning and Zon-
ing Commission, made some three
months ago, that the city acquire
the properties on the east side of
North Jonathan Street, between
Franklin and Church Streets, for the
dual purpose of charging the mar
ket house parking lot, and also the
long-range plan Of widening Jona-
than Street.
The matter has been before the
Council on several occasions, but, so
far, all that has been done is to get
three local real estate men to APP
praise the properties = which they
appraised at around $4,000.
Richard Grumbacker, chairman OF
the Retailers Bureau Off Street
Parking committee, opened the
meeting on behalf of the Bureau and
explained the serious problem fac
ing the downtown merchants due to
the lack of close in, off street, park
ing facilities, which, if it is not
speedily remedied, would not only
affect the business of the downtown
stores, but will also result in big
drop in their real estate values, a
condition that has already become an
actually in Baltimore.
Other phases of the problem were
presented by: Frank Letter, H. L.
Ingram, Max Greenwald, Parke Gel
ger, Vernon Miller, A. Harry Warne
and Fred Musey, after which the
Mayor and members of the Council
expressed their views.
During the discussion, the perhaps
most important factor - the cost OF
the project-was only lightly touch
ed on, and that, feel, was most I'M
fair to the Retailers present, who
should have been told all the facts
concerning the financing of such a
project.
To begin with, it would be foolish
to assume that the owners of the
properties involved would accept
the only figure mentioned during
the meeting - the appraised value,
$135,00 - and secondly it would al
so be foolish to assume that, if con-
domination proceedings were under
taken, the Courts would accept the
appraised value.
And finally, the City Charter, I'M
der which the city operates, express
1y forbids (see chapter l, section y
the city to purchase property for
any one purpose, in excess of $780,
600, without the approval of the vot-
ers given upon referendum at a spe-
cial or general election.
Therefore, if the properties were
to cost the city $180,000, as might
well happen in the final analysis,
and if, as Mayor Mills stated at the
meeting, the State Roads Commits
sion might put up as much as $4,000
towards the cost, the city, under the
Charter, would still not be able to
go through with the purchase until
a referendum was taken.
After the discussion was over, the
Council took the matter under adj
visement, but promised the delega-
ton that the matter would be taken
up again at the November meeting
and that, in the meantime, a COM
nittee from the Council would meet
with the Retailers committee to dis
cuss the whole parking problem.
I got real kick out of the state
ment recently made by William A.
Gunter, Republican candidate for at
torney general, that George P. Ma
honey was the head of the Demo-
cratic Party because he got the most
popular votes in the primary.
What tickled me about it was the
fact that on the platform with Mr..
Gunter when he made the statement
was John M. Butler, Republican can
didate for the United States Senate,
who, although he got the most con-
vention votes, Jagged behind General
Marley in the popular vote.
$50
Congratulations to Oscar Hart
sock of the Hagerstown Kiwanis
Club on being elected Lieutenant
Governor of the Ninth Division of
the Kiwanis Capital District, of
which Hagerstown is a part.
I'm sorry that / missed the Plan
ming and Zoning hearing at the City
Hall on Thursday night, but at the
time it was being held | was on my
way back from the World Series
game in Philadelphia.
Talking with representative of
my paper, however, who was pres
ent at the meeting, he told me that