Evening star., 1952-07-12
On Bowie Buying
Land for Road
Condemnation Move
Held Up as Owners
Report No Offers

-
purchase rather than condemna-
tion Of land needed to widen
Bowie race tracks main access
road are under way today,
The Prince Georges conamis-
ESionerS suggested q conference
among their board, track oficials
and resentful owners OF adjoin-
ling properties. after seven land
holders said yesterday at Upper
Marlboro that they have received
|l1o offers for their holdings.
Larry MacPhail, former owner
LOT the New York Yankees baseball
team and now head of the South
|ern Maryland Agricultural lAssoci-
alton, which controls the. racing
strip, asked the commissioners to
start condemnation proceedings.
Mr.. MacPhail said the seven
Owners had refused q Substantial
price" as well as an equal amount
|of land and houses with water,
sewage and electricity installed at
mo expense to them.
A 70-foot strip of land fronting
the seven properties is needed, Mr.
MacPhail said. to widen the coun-
Ity-owned Jericho Park road to
100 feet. The proposed improve
ment Is part Of a $2.5 million
renovation program designed to
accommodate $4,000 persons daily
at the November meeting.
Quotes MacPhail Offer.
Commissioner w. Everett Mar
ton said yesterday that Mr.. Mac
Phail told him he had offered
three times the appraised value
OF the properties.
But six Of the seven owners of
land abutting the tracks back
stretch said no one had spoken
to them about the matter. Owners
|of the seventh said that, several
weeks ago. they received offers
Tor all Of their holdings, which
they were told were. to be used
for a recreation center"
The track was not represented
at the hearing.
Clarence w. Maltby. one Of the
landowners, expressed indignation
at the methods used by track
officials.
Il have never been approached
IN any way. shape or FORM" he
declared.
Mr.. Maltby said he is willing to
sell, "at a fair price," But, re-
ferring to Mr.. MacPhail,. he added
Il don't like the way that man
works it,"
Would Consider Offers.
The other six. all of whom are
colored and are related, also indi-
Gated displeasure, but told the
commissioners they would consider
offers for the 70-foot strips. pro-
vided all property owners agreed.
Some Of them wanted to know.
however why the track did not
use land they said is available, on
track property.
Theeseven owners agreed to at
tend the projected meeting, after
the commissioners told them the
board and its counsel would help
In effecting an amicable agree
|ment.
Mr.. MacPhail has assured the
commissioners that, If the land
can be obtained, the track win
build a four-lane highway a half
mile long without cost to the
county.
Some Of the property owners
said yesterday they are reluctant
TO sell because they derive income
from their land by using it as
parking space and as sites for con-
|ceSsions.
In other business, the commits
sioners banned parking on a $50
foot segment of the south side of
Calvert road between Paint
Branch and the College Park
grade crossing.
The board acted after it was
informed that the town of College
Park had passed a similar reso-
luton. The moves are designed
to help prevent accidents at the
Baltimore & Ohio crossing where
e 26-year-old man was killed q
few weeks ago.