Evening star., 1952-03-27
beaII Reassures
Chevy Chase on
Research Center
County Council Head
Hits Quonset Hut PIor
As Zoning Violation

hbe
As Zoning Violation
Residents of the Connecticut
avenue section of Chevy Chase,
Md, had the assurance Of their
Representative in Congress today
that he would investigate reports
that the Army is considering
putting quonset huts at the. for
|mer Chevy Chase Junior College,
|641O Connecticut avenue.
The president Of the Mont
|gomery County Council, mean
while, attacked the move as a
Clear violation Of zoning and
good TASTE" and said the coun-
|cil definitely will go into the
matter"
Representative Beall, Repub-
|lican. of the 9Th Maryland Dis
|trict. In which Chevy Chase is
located, said he doesn't blame the
residents for being upset about
the planned expansion of the
Army's Operation Research Of
flee on the former college prop
|erty.
Beall Returns Today.
"It'S important to them and to
me-" he added, ito preserve the
|r esid en- t ial and architectural
character of that neighborhood. .
MIR. Beall. who made his COM
|ments yesterday from Baltimore.
where he was campaigning for
the Republican nomination to the
Senate from Maryland, said he
intended to "look into the whole
thing" as soon as he returned to
Washington today.
Council President Lathrop E.
Smith said it would be repre-
hensible for the Army to attempt
to put temporary buildings in the
midst Of one Of our choice resi-
dental communities"
"The unfortunate part of it all,
however, is that no one tells the
Federal Government what to dc" I"
he added. The Federal Govern
ment never consults the local gov
eminent before planning projects
such as this"
Council to Discuss It.
Mr.. Smith said the proposed eX-
pansion of the research Office will
be discussed by the council at its
earliest opportunity.
He pointed out that since the
Army center at the college is a
Federal project. county building
and zoning officials have no juris-
diction over any expansion or
alterations there.
Meanwhile, there still was no
oficial word from the Army on the
matter. It Is known that officials
at the research Office have asked
an additional 10000 square feet
for q computing laboratory and
that quonset huts or other tenn
porary structures are being con-
sidered by the Army Engineers,
but no definite decision has yet
been disclosed.
A proposal for a permanent
addition to the college has been
made to the Army by the National
All Club foundation, which owns
the college and has leased it for
the research Office.
Could Convert Building.
Z. w. Alton, executive director Of
the foundation, said his group has
submitted architects drawings of
Ia proposed building which would
satisfy the present space needs of
the Army and could be converted
to an auditorium when the college
lis turned back TO the foundation.
Mr.. Atoms organization, which
purchased the college only short
time before leasing it to the Army
last spring, plans eventually to
set up a national All center there.
Blair Lee III, chairman of the
Planning and Zoning Committee
of the Montgomery County Civic
Federation. said the federation
often has expressed strong opposi-
tion against "the unqualified right
of Federal agencies to violate
existing local coming and building
patterns"
He said the Junior college mat
ter would be discussed by the fed
Grafton.
The research Office at the col
lege does a job which the Army
claSsifies as secret. Generally, it
can be said that the Offices 150-
man staff analyses warfare with
a view to undermining techniques
and strategy.