Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-23
Planning Body,
Attack,
Cites Gains
Defense Spurred
By Debate on Fate in
Maryland Assembly

Guiding the orderly develop
ment of suburban Maryland and
preserving the scenic beauties
along the stream valleys leading
out of Washington are toc
achievements of Maryland plan
ners.
The Maryland National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commits
sion, which has supervised this
development. is IS years old.
Its officials today surveyed the
growth of the past quarter of a
century as the Maryland Gen.
eral Assembly studied legisla-
ton introduced by its foes which
calls for the commissions aboli-
ton. Observers at Annapolis
report little likelihood that the
measures would pass in their
present form.
Critics say the commission
members. appointed by the Gov
ernor. are not directly reSpon-
sible to the people, that it spends
too much money and adds I'M
necessarily to the tax burden
and that many of its functions
overlap other services in Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
Counties.
Set Up in 1927.
The commission was set up by
an act of the Maryland General
Assembly in 1927. It has juris-
diction over 800 square miles in
Montgomery and Prince Georges
counties.
Its officials recalled how the
erstwhile farmland has turned
into sizeable subdivisions and
declared the population has
spurted from about 10000 in
1927 to upwards of 100000 now.
And tomorrow they expect great
er growth.
Dozens of shoppingf centers
now dot the sites of yesteryear's
barnyards. And the old muddy
roads and cow paths have been
revamped into a planned sys-
tenn of paved thoroughfares and
high speed highways. Seeking to
avoid slum developments, the
commission laid down a program
for the creation of subdivisions
and street expansion to insure
that streets will link up in logi-
cal fashion with the Maryland
highway system. New homes
must meet certain standards in
uniform neighborhoods.
The Maryland-National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commits
sion was the outgrowth of the
setting up by Congress Of the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission in 1926. The
Washington group succeeded the
National Capital Park commits
sion of 1924. In a landmark de-
cision. Congress passed the Cap
per-Cramton Park-Purchase Act
in 1880.
SWAY Cooperation.
Maryland, the District and
Virginia are cooperating in this
program to preserve for the peo-
pie the scenic stream valleys of
the Potomac River and its tribu-
taries in this region.
The Maryland commission was
charged, among other things,
with continuing the park de-
velopment into the nearby Free
State stream valleys from the
National Capital.
The Maryland planners were
directed to coordinate the park
system and the construction of
orderly subdivisions.
Achievements Listed.
They listed these achieve
ments:
Requiring that in new subdi-
visions, houses have uniform set
backs, from the street. Adequate
traffic facilities. The assigning
of house numbers, avoiding du-
plication, and insuring that the
National Capitals system along
such thoroughfares as Wisconsin
and Georgia avenues are carried
forward in Maryland. (The COM
mission also has charge Of street
naming). Drafted a new public
building code. Insuring best land
use.
The drawing up of master
plans for coming, highways,
parks and sectional coming plans
for specific areas. It is now
working on a master school plan,
in cooperation with Montgom-
cry and Prince Georges school
authorities. A recreation plan
has been developed.
Land Acquired.
HA0CO III OOGd11l1IlS 1lOuSlQR
and Federal Office building prof.
ects and studied the possible
future locations for such prof.
ectS in a dispersal program. Ac-
quired land, before it could be
Subdivided, for extensive recrea-
tional and scenic areas in the
valleys of the Potomac River
tributaries here. This is the most
expensive part of its operation.
because it must buy acreage in
quantity. But in the past two
years. the Federal Government
has not contributed it's financial
share toward the park program,
under the Capper- Cramton Act.
Under this. the Federal Govern
ment contributes one-third for
land acquisitions and loans two
thirds.
The commission has acquired
land along the Northwest Branch
Parkway of the AnacoStia River;
in Rock Greek Valley from the
District line to Viers Mill vii