Evening star., 1953-02-19
Revised Report
Urges Retention
0fPIannerS
SobeIoff Commission
New Version Would
Take In RuruI Areas
By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Sfuff CORRESPONDENT

battle over abolishing the Mary
land-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission continued
to flare today. with the Sobeloh
Commission right in the middle.
The latest development in the
red hot controversy is the re-
lease Of a revised preliminary
report of the so-called Sobelofi
Commission on administrative
organization Of the State.
The revised draft. obtained
from the commission yesterday
by Senator Anders R. Lofstrand,
jr., Republican, Of Montgomery,
clashes with the first draft re-
leased to the press on Tuesday
by Delegate j. Douglas Brad
shaw, chairman Of the all-Re-
publican Montgomery delegation.
Where the first draft called
for abolition of the commission.
the revised draft says it ought
to be retained.
Expansion Recommended.
Furthermore, the revised draft
recommends that the agency be
expanded to take in the rural
areas of Upper Montgomery
County and Southern Prince
Georges County.
Senator Lofstrand and other
opponents of a measure, now
before the General Assembly to
abolish the planning commits
sion and transfer its functions
to the two counties, cheered the
revised recommendations.
But Richard B. Andrews Of
Baltimore, who wrote both the
first and the revised reports on
the planning commission for the
Sobelof group, said. II still stand
by my first report"
Mr.. Andrews, who is 26 and
now works for the State Budget
Bureau, said he revised his first
draft on instructions Of his staff
director and after three requested
sessions with the planning COM
mission.
DR.. Elwyn A. Mauck. staff
director for the Sobeloff Com
mission, said he asked Mr.. An
drews to edit his first draft, COM
pleted early last year, as the
result of loud protests from OH
cialS of the planning commission.
Both Versions Filed.
Then. said DR.. Mauck, the first
draft and the revised version
were filed away. He said the
commission decided to hold off
consideration Of them until after
the current session Of the Legis-
lature for fear they might en-
danger other less controversial
commission proposals.
The revised draft recommends
that members Of the planning
commission be appointed locally,
three each by the Prince Georges
County commissioners and the
Montgomery County Council.
The six-member State commits
sion is now appointed by the
Governor.
The revised draft contends.
however, that the operating
functions of the agency-such
as developing and maintaining
parks, recreation and building
inspection-be transferred to the
county governments, lin order
that planning, zoning and sub
division control may receive the
thoughtful independent consid-
Grafton they deserve"
The new version also makes a
plea for regional plannlng-an
oft-sounded note of planning
commission partiSanS, which was
completely lacking in the first
draft.
THE concept of planning, not
for small areas cramped inside
out-dated political boundaries,
but for a more nearly natural
political, economic and social
unit, obviously has many things
to recommend" the revised re-
port states.
See Advantages Heavier.
''It is true that the existence
of the bi-county park and plan
ming commission has created
certain problems, particularly in
the field of coordination be-
tween the commission and units
of local government. It is be-
lieved, nonetheleSs, that the ad-
vantages of regional planning
definitely outweigh any diSad-
vantages it may have"
The planning commission,
meanwhile, was criticized on the
House floor yesterday for main
tanning a full-time representa-
tive here at the Legislature to
help defeat bills to abolish it.
Mrs. Kathryn j. Lawlor, Re-
publican delegate from Mont
gomery County, took the floor
to read a Washington Post edi-
torial supporting the legislation
introduced by the Joint Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
delegations.
Then she said the planning
commission has in its employ q
former Washington Star re-
porter. ''being paid in the
neighborhood Of $1,000 a year
by the taxpayers to serve as q
public relations man."
"He Is spending full time in
Annapolis now," she told other
members. "He knows many of
you personally. He is telling you
that this is a bad bill"
She urged her fellow Dele
gates to attend a hearing on
the legislation, set for pm.
today, Ito see for yourselves
what the people of Prince
Georges and Montgomery think
about the planning commission. :"
The planning commission en-
vala1yA Mr. Houylay anynorav.%Ivv