Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1954-04-22
By Mrs. Philip Marcus
10. 1904


After long, uphill struggle,
which started in late 1919, it
looks as if the Arcola section of
Wheaton will get it's sewers. On
April II, an order of the State
Board of Health, directed to the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission to bring sewers into
the area for reasons of health
and comfort of the community,
was rescinded following a mu-
tual agreement reached on a So
luton of the problem by all par
ties concerned. The Commission
had taken the Boards order to
court in Prince Georges County,
but this case will undoubtedly be
withdrawn, since its raiSon d'etre
& no longer exists.
Residents of the Arcola area
AHhave long felt the need for SAM:
tary sewerage facilities 1--WE have
water service), but for some time
the Commission did not bring it
in because of alleged excessive
cost involved" Repeated requests
for a public hearing on the mat
ter were made by residents to the
Commission, but no such hearing
was forthcoming. In the fall of
1852, residents of the area ap-
pealed to the State Board of
Health for a hearing, and this
was granted in December of that
year. Two countrywide civic as
o. sociations and many local civic
groups supported this effort.
Area residents had hired a SAM
tary Engineer to present differ
ent solutions to the problem to
the Board and the Commission.
AS a result of that hearing, the
Board ordered the Commission,
in May of 1858, to bring sanitary
sewerage facilities into houses
fronting on Parker, Arcola, Her
mitage, Franwell, Henderson,
and Orebaugh Avenue, and Marin
Road and Claiming Drive in the
Arcola area. This order was ap-
! pealed by the Commission.
A short time later the Board
and the Commission began nego-
tiations for a compromise agree
ment, which eliminated last
week.
AS a result of this agreement,
sanitary sewerage facilities will
be constructed to homes on the
above streets, with the exception
of nine homes on the wrong
fall" on Henderson Avenue e.
Sewer lines will be extended
from the Sligo Creek trunk, and
will cost in the neighborhood of
4 $188,000.
The Commission plans to start
the project not later than July !.
1854, and hopes, if no unforeseen
events occur, to complete the
work by 1855.
The nine homes on Henderson
Avenue not to be Serviced by
sewer lines will be taken care of
by the Commission in the follow
ing manner: When sewer connec-
tons are first made available TO
the area, the Commission will
eApump out the septic tanks and
= seepage pits of these homes, free
of charge. Thereafter, when
fields or pits in the area show
signs of trouble" the Commits
sion will, within seventy-two
hours of notification, pump out
the tanks or pits.
At long last, the sewer-ish
smell will go from the Arcola
area, and our children will be
able to play outdoors, without
mamas wondering whether they
are playing in the black puddles
or not.
Extension of the Sligo Creek
trunk will open up large area
for development on the east side
of Georgia Avenue in Wheaton
and who knows but what it may
not be the opening wedge to eX.
tension of the Northwest Branch
trunkline. We can hope, anyhow
" Six Scouts and three men from
the Glenmont area spent last
weekend six miles west of Fred
erick on a camping trip. Scouts
from Troop 433 on the trip were
SALES RENTALS
HNAAIc RAURUun AMI~E III