Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-19
SobeIoff Commission
Revised Report Asks
Retention Of Planners
BY "a saatf Correspondent Of The stor

~ - SSN' SoUSSPOVoOnb OF tne SIoS
ANNAPOLIS. Feb. 19.-The
battle over abolishing the Mary
land-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission continued
to fare today. with the Sobeloff
Commission right in the middle.
The latest development in the
red hot controversy is the re-
lease Of q revised preliminary
report Of the so-called Sobeloff
Commission on administrative
organization Of the State.
The revised draft, obtained
from the commission yesterday
by Senator Anders r. Lofstrand,
1r., 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 it's 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
Sobelon 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 Sobelof 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 Off
Gals 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 I
commission be appointed locally. /
three each by the Prince Georges
County commissioners and the |
MONTGOMERY County Council. |
The six-lnember State commits |
sion is now appointed : by the |
Governor. I
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 Manning, zoning and SUBJ
division control may receive the
thoughtful independent consid-
Grafton they deserve"
The new version also makes a
plea for regional plannlng-an
oft-Sounde0 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 q more nearly natural
political, economic and social
unit, obviously has many things
to recommend" the revised re-
port states.
See Advantages Heavier.
1T Ii 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-
1ieved, 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-