Evening star., 1951-06-23
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T1reatenedW
Battles
Legol Action Seen on
Berwyn Crossing and
BeIford Drive Wushout

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Two court battles are in pros-
pect for the Prince Georges County
commissioners.
One irnpends from refusal of
the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad to
reopen grade crossing at Berwyn
Heights and the other from the
washed out condition OF Belford
drive, just of New Hampshire
avenue near the District line.
Reacting Immediately when the
railroad decision was made known
in a letter read at Upper Marl-
boro, Commissioner Edward ].
Waters declared:
IT will not accept this as final.
] will fight to get this crossing
open with every legal means at
my command" His colleagues
did not comment.
At about the same time, Board
Clerk Thomas w. Hicks read a
letter from Washington attorneys
who said they would ask a Circuit
Court Injunction "to avoid the
hazard to life and property"
caused by water pouring down
Belford drive from a parking lot
nearby.
Theaten Damage Suit.
The lawyers added that they
would later "sue for damages
caused by negligently diverted
rainwater" and indicated they
would name as defendants a Dis
trict real estate firm and pos
sibly the county.
The proposal to reopen the
grade crossing on Berwyn road
was debated before the commits
sioners at public hearing June
l at Hyattsville.
Railroad and State Road Com
mission representatives pointed
out then that they had, in 194l,
agreed to close the Berwyn and
Branchville crossings in order to
secure Federal funds for cor.
struction of the Greenbelt over
pass.
Engineers for the railroad re-
Gently surveyed conditions at the
Berwyn crossing and reported that
the costs and hazards involved did
not justify its reopening.
Mr.. Waters asserted that Berwyn
Heights residents must travel an
unnecessarily long distance If they
use the overpasS but that if the
crossing is opened they will have
a direct route from Edmonston
Road to the Washington-Balti-
more boulevard.
Street in Bad Condition.
Citizens whose homes abut Bel
ford drive complained to the COM
missioners that their street is in
such bad condition that delivery
men will not attempt to drive their
trucks over it.
They claimed the trouble arose
when hill overlooking the street
was leveled for a parking lot.
The complaint was referred to
the county department of public
works which on June 8 ordered
the real estate firm to correct the
situation within five days. A
spokesman for the department
said yesterday that a reply had
not been received.
James w. Laws, president Of
the North Englewood Civic Asso-
citation; Lindsey B. Neal chair
man of the units Road Commit
tee, and Capt. Elwood T. Driver,
a committee member, asked the
county to take over an 1,100-foot
segment of Reed street, a high
way connecting Cheverly and Ad-
Olson road.
Built originally by housing de-
velopment promoters, the road
has become a much-traveled
highway.
Board Counsel Adrian P. Fisher
ruled that because the section is
part Of a special improvement dis
trict, the county lacks authority
to take it over unless residents
Iagree to finance improvements
which would cost an estimated
I$60 900.
The commissioners, however
advised the delegation to take the
Question to the Washington Sub
urban Sanitary Commission and
the county Board of Education
The latter agency is involved be-
cause construction of the Fair
mount Heights School has compli-
Gated drainage problems.