Evening star., 1952-11-20
School Shortage
|ba|ks Rezoninq
For Apartment
Court Test OF.
Theory in SuitIund
Case Forecast

Case Forecast
The Prince Georges commission
iers' policy of refusing apartment
zoning because school facilities are
inadequate may face a legal test
Maxwell "A. Ostrow. a District
attorney. told reporters he def
nitely will file a County Circuit
Court action to reverse the boards
denial of his J. petition to erect
apartments in the Suitland area
Mr.. Ostrow's application was re-
jected yesterday in Hyattsville
during a lively zoning session, in
which the county heads dead
locked on an American Legion
proposal and turned down an ap-
plication sponsored by the Mary
land-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
David I. Abse of Washington
counsel for Mr.. OStroW. asked the
commissioners to reclassify his
clients 13-lot tract at Lewis anC
Lacy avenues, Bradbury Park, tc
permit construction of a 38-unit
apartment.
School Crowding Disputed.
That will mean more school
Icr0Nding." Commissioner Daniel
i Abbott declared.
Not so," Mr.. AbSe replied. "Mr
Ostrow's apartments would have
only one bedroom and. therefore
would house fewer children than
the 13 three-bedroom houses he
now is authorized to build"
But Mr.. Abbott moved for de-
nial, after a colleague, Edward j
Waters, observed that the county's
$25 million bonded liability is near
the danger point. He added that
apartment zoning at that location
would mean improper land use
Mr.. Abbott's motion was adopted
unanimously.
The American Legion impasse
ended protracted discussion OF
veterans morals and what would
be likely to ensue if ex-service-
men were permitted to operate a
clubhouse in Bladensburg.
Sunnybrook Post 241 asked per-
mission to conduct a club in its
recently purchased building at
4217 Edmonston road. Speaking
for the post, Mrs. Anne Plumley,
director of Legion Auxiliary child
welfare activities in the county.
said the structure would be reno
waited and used for such purposes
as Boy and Girl Scout meetings.
She informed the board the prof.
Iect has the approval Of Bladens-
burg town authorities.
Says Endorsement Slipped
Through.
But Mrs. Susanna Cristofane,
secretary of the town citizens
association, said there was some
thing peculiar about the way the
Endorsement was given.
Il attended the meeting" she
said. THAT resolution was slipped
through so fast some Of us never
knew what happened"
Speaking for the objectors,
most of them women, Mrs. CriSto-
fame said veterans are deserving
folks. but there are times when
their morals are suspect. She
cited a case in which members
of the Sunnybrook Post were said
to have staged a strip-tease at
Silver Hill and another instance
involving a capacity audience at
an "uncensored" movie.
John P. Campbell, post adju-
tant and treasurer, explained to
the commissioners that the wraps
off movie was something the
boys put on while the units off,
GERS were asleep"
Threat of Expulsion.
Mr.. Campbell added that the
post has voted to expel any men,
ber who has anything to do with
such performances.
The board ordered a rehearing
on December 10, after a tie vote
on motion to deny the posts
request. Mr.. Waters and Mrs. H.
Wilson Spicknall voted in favor Of
denial, and Mr.. Abbott and Chair
man Thomas E. Latimer voted no.
Commissioner w. Everett Marion,
a member of another Legion post,
did not vote.
Rejection of the planning COM
missions petition came when
Hyattsville home opposed
an increased density classification
for an apartment in the 4100 block
of Oglethorpe street. The COM
mission asked the change to cor
rect a technical error which
escaped notice when the new
zoning code was adopted in 1949.
Petitions Denied.
These petitions were denied:
Peter j. Gianaris. for designa-
ton of q tract on Lawrence street,
Colmar Manor. now zoned re-
sidential, for apartment use: G. P.
Bickford and c. w. Schneider, a
shift from residential to COM
mercial of property between
Baltimore and Forty-eighth ave-
nues, Lakeland and Berwyn.
Approved were applications filed
by Margaret E. De Largy for prop
erty on East-West highway be-
tween New Hampshire and Kent
land avenues, Takoma Park, from
single to two-family residential;
Carlos E. Dixon. land on the
corner of Fifty-f1fth avenue and
Marlboro pike, from residential to