Evening star., 1951-11-30
Sought
In Montgomery
System
Plan Coils for IA
Instead of 5 Zones
In Suburban Area

The suburban area of Mont
gomery County would be divided
into II residential, commercial
and industrial zones under a pro-
posed new zoning ordinance pre-
pared by the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
The new regulations, result Of
two years work by William c.
Burrage, the commissions plan
ming engineer, were disclosed by
the commission at its regular
meeting yesterday in Silver
Spring.
Copies Of the proposed ordinance
are being distributed to indi-
viduals and groups for their re-
action. Later the commission
will decide whether to recommend
the ordinance to the County Coun-
Gil, which has the final say.
Proposed New Zones.
The IA proposed zones, which
would replace the present five
zone division. were listed as:
R-A, agricultural residential;
IR-R. rural residential; Roo, one
family detached restricted resi-
dental: R-60, one-family de-
tached residential: R-40, one
family semidetached and two
family detached residential; R-30.
multiple-family low density resi-
dental; R-20, multiple family me-
dium density residential; Rio.
multiple-family high density res
Iidential; RPC, planned COM
munity; CO. commercial office
building; C-1. local commercial;
CO. general commercial; IL, light
industrial. and IL. heavy indus
trial.
With the exception OF the agri-
cultural residential, the IA new
zones are the same as those used
IN the regional district of Prince
Georges County over which the
Park and Planning Commission
has jurisdiction. The Prince
Georges ordinance was adopted by
the county commissioners two
years ago.
Present Categories.
The five coming categories in
suburban Montgomery at present
are residential A, single family.
detached: residential B, one-fam-
lily. semidetached, and two-family.
detached; residential c. multiple
family or apartments; commercial
and industrial.
Major differences between ths
present and proposed require
ments for each zoning category
lis the minimum lot size.
The present residential A zone.
Tor instance. requires a minimum
lot size OF 5000 square feet, Under
the proposed ordinance, R-6o
would require 5000 square feet:
R-s0. 5000; R-R, 10000, and RIA.
two acres.
The present residential B zone
requires a minimum lot size Of
$500 square feet per family. The
proposed R-40 zone would require
1000 square feet per family.
Inc present residential c.
apartment zone requires 625
square feet per dwelling unit, or
a maximum of about 50 families
per acre. The highest density
apartment zone proposed, Rio.
would require at least 1000 SQUARE
feet for each unit, or about 43
families per acre. R-20 would
permit up to 81 families per acre
and R-30 would permit up to IA
families per acre.
Based on Long Study.
The planned community zone
Is a special category for the deyel-
opment of complete community
1t would allow several types of
dwellings, along with necessary
lcoLnueFclal and Industrial prof.
ectS.
A commission statement said
the proposed regulations, which
are very detailed and cover IS
pages. are based on long and
careful study of leading ordi.
nances throughout the country
and contain what are believed to
be the most progressive ideas in
the zoning and planning fields"
Adoption Of this ordinance
would mark important progress
toward completing a comprehen-
slve master plan for the regional
district" the statement added.
since an overhauling of the pres
ent inadequate zoning law is a
first step in this direction"
Mr.. Burrage emphasized that
adoption of the ordinance would
not affect existing residences and
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