Evening star., 1954-04-15
PrinceGeorges
Communities
Study Merger
Eight Sections Work
On PIuns to Create
City Administration
By Gene Goodwin

GStdtCo, kCdOldIlL tdlIcy dIlO
Landover Estates.
The proposed city would take
in 2,221 homes with about 5000
persons and cover about 21z
square miles.
Landover road would be its
southern boundary. It would ex-
tend to the new Baltimore
Washington expressway on the
west and the proposed Washing
ton-Annapolis expressway on the
east. Its nothern boundary, gen.
orally, would be the present
northern limits of Woodlawn
Glenridge and Parkway Estates
which are located across Defense
highway from the other COM
munities in the plan.
Meeting for Year.
For about a year. representa-
tives from the eight communi.
ties have been meeting together
in what is known as the Centra
Study Group for Better Loca
Government in the Greater
Landover Hills area.
Landover Hills is the only
presently incorporated commu-
nifty in the group.
Although the study group does
not expect to make a firm rec
ommendation to citizens of the
various communities until late
this summer. it is obvious thai
individual committee member.
are, definitely leaning toward in.
corporation.
Their exhaustive spare-timt
research apparently has con.
vinced most committee members
that their communities can gel
more services at less money by
merging into a city.
Gripes Led to Proposal.
The Incorporation study grew
out of some over-the-back.
fence grippe sessions between two
Glenrldge men Russell H
johnson and William Douglas
They decided to invite the mayor
and council Of Landover Hill.
and the citizens associations ir
the unincorporated communities
OF the area to sit down together
and discuss local government.
This meeting was held or
March 2. 1853. The study com.
mlttee was formed, and Mr.
johnson, a 33-year-old Air Force
electronics engineer, was named
chairman. Each community was
given two representatives.
For the past year, the study
group, through it's six commit
tees, has been collecting an i'm
preSsive volume of facts. Now il
is attempting to evaluate it.
findings in order to make ar
impartial and detailed recon.
mendation to citizens of the area
Faces Possible Actions.
The committee, according tt
Mr.. johnson, is studying foul
possible recommendations:
l. Leaving things as they are
2. Forming one big citizens
association.
3. Combining all the commu.
mites, except Landover Hills
into one big special improvement
district. "a special improvement
district is a special taxing area
set up under the county govern.
ment to make it possible fol
communities to purchase certain
services not generally provided
by the county and pay for them
on property tax bills. There are
about 80 SIDs in Prince George.
today.
incorporation would mean thu
addition of municipal taxes or
top of county taxes, the commit.
tee has found. But it would alSC
mean more services and financia
aid from the State. Municipal.
ties get share of certain State
taxeS-income tax, auto regis.
tration fees, gasoline tax, horse
racing taxes, admission tax, Ii.
cense fees and the corporate
franchise tax. The committee
found, for example, that last
year the city of College Park
with a population of 11,000, re-
ceived more than $4,000 in
shared State taxes.
Services or Outlay.
1.-THE primary consideration,
Mr.. johnson told a recent COM
mittee meeting, sis whether
or not the additional services
that would be obtained under
incorporation would be worth
the additional outlay by the tax
payer"
Other members of the study
group and the communities they
represent are: Jack Verbeeck
and Mrs. Shirley Baltz, Glen
ridge; Rexford Hartley and Wal
ter CrandaN, Landover Estates;
Joseph Hansen and Louis Freed
Woodlawn; William B. Williams
and j. j. Dodson. West Lanham
Hills; r. Schifter and Charles
Parker, jr., Radiant Valley; Coy
Morell, Bellemeade: Mayor Jo-
seph Brandt and Councilman
John Kruger. Landover Hills
and Mrs. Ethel Morse and D. T