Evening star., 1952-02-27
System
OF Parking Lots Urged
In |nMontgomery Report

A countrywide public parking
lot system. to be financed on O
three-way basis. is urged In a re-
port now In the hands OF the
Montgomery County Council.
The report was submitted yes
terday by the Councils Public
Parking Lot Technical Advisory
Committee, headed by D. Grant
Mickle, director Of the trafiic en-
cheering division, Automotive
Safety Foundation.
The hightllght' OF q i0.point
program for attacking parking
problems In the county's business
districts was O recommendation
for creation Of O special parking
administrative unit.
The unit would be created with.
In tho Department OF Public
Works and would be financed
through the suburban district tax.
The committee urged that the
cost OF the parking lot program
DO shared BY the county, the
Users and business Embellishments.
\, Calls for Meters.
II urged installation Of parking
meters. both at the curb and on
on .street public lots, with pro.
ceeds dedicated 10 support OF the
parking lot program.
Business houses would help nay
costs Of providing additional
parking spaces through 4 tax
similar 10 the parking lot District
tax assessment, now invoked Oh
businesses In The various urban
areas,
The committee, however, urged
that 4 businessman who provides
space for hls 0Wn customers 10
bhe extent required In hls District,
should pay q IAN only 0neIhalf
the rate prevailing for developed
property
The committee added that full
exemption from the parking i0t
BlsbPleb baN DO granted business
concerns thAt provide PeaUIPNd
parking facilities for free public
Hser
In such instances, n said, The
9WneF sh9uld be relieved Of All
liability involved In Tho lots VGe
thF0HRh leasing II 10 tho county
ON an annual basis,
Different Standards Cited,
The committee pointed out that
eH'AtFeet parking standards nes
eesaaFy Tor exemption from the
parking let tax assessment In
wheaton and Montgomery Hills
ore nearly double those In Rethes-
da and Silver Spring,
~ urged that the amount OF
on .stFeet parking required should
% the same for business through
ouk the parking lot districts,
The committee also criticized
present practices OF relating park
ing requirements to square feet
OF noor space, II recommended
Q special study OF parking require
ments for various classifications of
businesses for development of q
more equitable set Of standards,
The committee said the county
must acquire outright sufficient
land IN O district to meet antici-
pated parking needs within the
forseeable future. It said the
parking districts should be able to
draw on county general funds to
initiate parking programs and re-
pay advances through meter rev.
enues and a broadened tax base.
In the countrywide parking
system, each district should be re-
CURED to support It's own facili-
ties, the committee added.
Notes Residential Opposition.
Recognizing the opposition to
expansion Of commercial zones
into residential areas, the COM
mittee. however, urged parking
facilities be permitted outside
commercial zones, provided they
abut the Sofies and access ID if1s
side the zones where feasible.
The committees report came
Just q week after O similar re-.
port on the Bethesda parking
situation was made BY A voluntary
committee Of residents and busis
iiessn1ef1,
The 2e.paee county report was
the climax OF q s0ursifiehth study
eendueted by Mr., Miekle, WASH
lngtoA I. Cleveland, Henry X,
Evans and Edward II. Holmes.
A county effsBtFeet parking
program began 10 take form iIiI
M0ntGemeFy County about elahtI
years aee, Since then ON lee0,sI
900 bond lsgue wac authorised mi
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