Evening star., 1952-01-15
Charter Issues
To Get Hearing
In Falls Church
City Council to Hold
Public Session Tonight
On Proposed Changes

On Proposed Changes
A public hearing on 81 pro-
posed changes in the Falls Church
city charter will be held at 8
O'Clock tonight at City Hall.
After the suggested amend
ments were presented to the City
Council at its regular meeting
last night, Mayor Charles E. Kel-
llogg said that if the small coun-
Icil chamber is overcrowded when
|tonight's hearing opens the meet
ing may be moved to Madison
School.
One Of the proposed changes
would permit the council to over
rule actions of the Planning Com
mission by a majority vote of a
quorum, rather than by the two
thirds vote Of the entire council.
|. Bond Vote Restricted.
Only resident property owners
who are qualified voters would
be permitted to vote on bond
issues. Under the existing charter.
which was adopted in 1850, all
qualified voters may participate in
a referendum but. in order to
pass, the issue must be approved
by majority of the qualified
voters, who are freeholders and
vote in the election.
The charter amendments, when
approved by the council, will be
forwarded to the General AS
sembly.
At the council meeting last
night, the former councilmen, Lee
I'M. Rhoads and Karl Anderson.
and other citizens urged the coun-
Icil not to take final action on the
changes tonight but to give civic
and business organizations an OPP
portunity to state their positions.
Mayor Kellogg said a decision on
when final action will be taken
Twill be made after tonight's hear
ing.
Other Proposed Changes.
Some of the other proposed
changes are:
If the position of the city attor.
ney becomes vacant, the Council
would make an interim appoint
ment instead of asking the Circuit
Court judge to order an election.
Also, the city attorney would no
longer be required to represent
the city in criminal cases in which
constitutionality or validity of any
ordinance is an issue.
Management of the sinking fund
would no longer be in the hands of
a special board of commissioners
but would be entrusted to the
idirector of finance.
A decision on rezoning about
half mile on both sides Of West
Broad street~last night was de-
ferred by the City Council until
January %.
| Only Councilman James e.
Durant opposed immediate re-
zoning. Three other Council
members. Francis A. Wagner,
Samuel E. McCrary and w. Ray
mond Taylor, said they favor the
move because of congestion in the
present shopping areas.
! Mayor Kellogg, Mrs. Margaret
King and w. Alvin Tasker did not
commit themselves.
j The proposed rezoning would
link the present stop-light busi-
ness area with the West Falls
Church commercial district.
Nearly 200 at Hearing.
Nearly 200 citizens attended a
public hearing on the plan last
night in Odd Fellows Hall.
:. Edward C. Knouse, chairman Of
the City Planning Commission,
said the commission is willing to
consider rezoning to commercial
for substantial development" of
the street, but he said that to
rezone the entire strip now would
weaken the city in bargaining for
high-type construction.
J, Only AZ per cent of Falls Church
property now zoned commercial
lis being used for business, MIR,
) Knouse said.
The commission chairman cited
the Homer Hoyt economic survey
Iof Arlington to support his state
ment that cities have been recon-
ing to commercial too much Of
their land.
I Mr.. Wagner, real estate man
and a former president of the
Greater Falls Church Chamber Of
Commerce, termed the commission
"obstructionist."
In deferring action on the West
Broad street proposal, the Council
also postponed a decision on re-
zoning for apartment use of two
tracts near the Tyler Gardens
Apartment development.
Proposals Turned Down.
Two other proposals to rezone
residential property for apartment
use were turned down, however.
They were for the Berman tract
on Parker avenue near West
street and the Pierce property at
Falls avenue extended near West
Broad street at the city boundary.
In other business, Sidney r.
Johnston, Arlington contractor,
was awarded a contract for ap-
proximately $4,000 for storm
sewer work in the Hillwood ave-
nue. area, the first project au-
thorized from $250.000 in bonds
approved by the voters last June.