Evening star., 1952-09-14
Brown Attacks
Planning Setup
In Montgomery
Upper County Group
Hit Over Stringent
RuruI Area Controls
By Cherries [. Hoffman

Oy SUobtSS l.. IIOIJmon
r. Edwin Brown. Rockville at
torney and prominent Upper
Montgomery County leader. yes
terday blasted the Upper Mont
gomery County Planning Commis-
sion and the proposed subdivision
regulations for the rural area.
The attack came almost on the
eve OF an anticipated stormy pub
lie hearing slated on the proposed
regulations at 8 pm. tomorrow in
the Rockville courthouse.
Mr.. Brown said the planning
commission has come up with reg
ulationS more stringent than those
in force in the suburban area
where the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission operates.
Mr.. Brown said there should be
only one planning agency operat-
ing in the county. He said the Gre
alton Of the upper county group
was contrary to the legal principle
that authority should stem from
only one head in any municipality.
Farmers Fears Noted
The logical solution, he said. is
that upper county planning should
be taken over by the park and
planning commission which now
operates only in the suburban
areas.
Farmers are concerned about
what they believe is q threat to
their property rights, according to
a spokesman for the County Farm
Bureau.
Ihe farm bureau group and 9TH
er farm leaders met Friday night
to map out their opposition to the
subdivision regulations.
The upper-county planners drew
the bitter wrath Of the farmers
last November when they held a
hearing on the proposed regula-
tions.
The latest draft. the planners
say, greatly relaxes the proposed
regulations while providing "the
barest minimum of necessary guid-
ance."
The commission points out the
regulations have been cut from 35I
to Is pages.
Opponents, however, note that
much Of the cut came in shorten
ing the description of road con-
Struct1on required in subdivisions.
The new draft requires macad-
am roads that meet Road Code
specifications which even the
commission says will cost at least
$500 per 100-foot frontage.
Mr.. Brown said down-county
subdividers are not required toI
put in paved roads. He added
many persons in the upper county
would rather have another bed
room than a paved street in front
Of their houses.
Country Club Atmosphere.
MIR. Brown feels the subdivision
regulations would maintain al
country club atmosphere in the
Upper County and keep out many
farm laborerS who just can't
afford to build homes under the
subdivision requirements.
In the new draft the planners
have omitted all fees and cut the
time for approval Of preliminary
plans by the commission from 45|
to 80 days. Also omitted were Sec
tionS pertaining to mandatory res
ervations Of land for schools and
Fairgrounds and the submission Of
Typographical data pertaining to
subdivision sites.
Minimum lot sizes have been
cut from 10000 to 10000 SQUARE
feet where there is neither public
water or sewer facilities and from
10000 to 10000 where one Of the
two is lacking.
To Curb Farm Subdivision.
The planning commission has
made 1t clear they feel a need toI
keep to q minimum the subdivid-
ing Of productive agriculture land
In an explanatory brief to be
submitted tomorrow night the
planners say one way Of prevent
ing excessive subdivision is to re-
quire the investment of a consid-
cradle sum of money by subdi-
viders.
The commission also asserts it
has circulated its proposed regula-
tlons freely throughout the upper
county area.
Opponents however disagree.
They cite the planners refusal
to make public last May a draft
which 1t circulated among persons
selected to serve on it's advisory
commission. At that time the
planners told the advisory COM
mission members to discuss the
proposed regulations with their
friends, neighbors and associates.
Throughout the work on the
draft, the planners also met in
closed session, opponents pointed
out.
Farm leaders also feel the
planning commission and its staff
have aimed more at aesthetic
planning" than at planning for
the protection Of health and well
fare.
Vnenor nai@h n.dor