Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1951-01-25
Visiting Mayors Greatly
Impressed With Rockville
ZOning-Planning

Continued from Page y
gerstown now have coming or city
planning, both are making plans
for coming ordinances and refer
endums, the Mayors said. Rock
vile has had coming since 1881
and city planning as a separate
division for about Is months.
Mayor Mills of Hagerstown said
that when large tracts were an
nexed there recently, developers
had insisted that the town pay for
streets, sewers and water. The
entire tax intake of the town would
be required to pay the cost of such
service, he said, and the town
fathers have been in a dilemma.
Annapolis is faced with prob
lens similar to those of Hagers-
town, according to Mayor Rowe.
The council has been considering
issuing bonds to cover the expense
of the newly annexed areas, he
said.
Whereas Rockville acquired only
2O% increase in population when
it increased its size six-fold in
1913, Annapolis, which recently
became ten times larger, doubled
its population, and much of its
new area has neither water or
sewers. The Rockville tax rate
is 90c on 500 valuation = Annap-
oils $1.00 per 500 - this in addi-
ton to the county basic rate.
1t was learned that Hagerstown,
despite its lack of coming and plan
ming, recently was named the
cleanest United States City, in the
$4,000 to 100000 group. The award
was made by the National Clean
Up, Paint-Up, Fix-Up Bureau.
A 76-page report on the Gov
eminent of Rockville" recently is
sued by the University of Mary
lands Bureau of Public Admins
tration, pronounced the present
governmental arrangements salts
factory but made II recommended
lions for improvement. 1t stated
that as a result of the major pop
ulation increase since 1910, certain
changes ought to be made. Some
of these have already been taken
care of. Copies of the report were
distributed at the conference.
The visitors were greatly inter-
ested in the Rockville plan for re-
curing a parking space for every
20 square feet of commercial space
and in the free public parking lots
which are supported by the park
ing meters on the streets.
City Manager John Mcdonald and
his assistant Jack MARYLAND said
the county seat now has $50 park
ing spaces in the old business Sec
ton. Mr.. MARYLAND also told of
the recreation program carried by
the town and of plans being draft
ed for city park areas, as part of
the city's overall master plan.
M. w. Gilden, president of the
Annapolis Chamber of Commerce,
who also attended the meeting,
urged the town fathers to get be-
hind the movement to return State
Offices to Annapolis. He said the
Annapolis offices would be nearer
to II counties than Baltimore.
Annapolis is ready to donate TWEEN
ty acres for this purpose.
DR.. Christian l.. Larsen, director
of the Bureau of Public Admins
tration at University of Maryland
and executive secretary of the
Maryland League of Municipali-
ties, also attended the meeting.
Aldermen from Annapolis who
attended were: DR.. Oliver w. H.
McNeill, Charles A. Oliver, Robert
E. Simmons, I. Norwood Brown,
c. A. Remaley, E. Kendall Barber
and Paul E. Clark. Councilmen
from Hagerstown were: Joseph
Glenn Hellane, J. Frank Ellicott,
Melvin C. jennings, C. w. Stein
bach and E. L. Kerney.
Rockville Councilmen present
we're: Frank H. Higgins, S. p.
Hersperger, Murray w. Bradshaw,
and Daniel R. Weddle.