Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-16
.Ternpers Flare
AtHearing on
Small Pools
Decision on Plans
Is Now in Hands
Of County Council
By Cherries [. Hoffman

series of neighborhood pools
without cost to the taxpayer
today is in the hands of the
County Council.
Tempers 11ared last night as
some $50 residents damned the
county building in Rockville and
overlooked into Railways and
outside exits as the council held
. public hearing on a coming code
amendment to open the way for
establishment Of the pools in
residential areas.
Some proponents Of the coming
change stood for more than
three hours at windows watch
ing the proceedings on the hot
test issue in the county in sew
eral months. The hearing was
marked by outbursts of applause
and gavel-pounding of Chairman
Louis A. Gravelle.
The amendment would permit
establishment of the self help
pools" paid for by private sub
Scriptions, on any 2.5-acre tracts
in residential areas.
The need for the pools was
not denied. Only the means of
getting them was at issue.
Additional Rules Urged.
Leading proponents of the
change-the Montgomery County
Swimming Pool Council-how-
ever, urged the council to adopt
additional regulations to protect
property owners AUDITING pro-
posed pool sites.
The councils attorney, Plum
mer M. Shearin, suggested re-
quirements calling for 100-foot
frontage on a street and 50-foot
setbacks in front, IS in the rear
and Is on the sides.
He also suggested requirements
for a 6-foot fence around the
pool and screening on sides
AUDITING residential homes.
Mr.. Shearin put in a plea for
pool associations with sites
smaller than 2.5 acres. They
should be given chance to OPP
crate as special exceptions to be
granted by the Board of Appeals,
he said.
He urged however, that in
denying pool bids, the board be
required to find that the pools
would materially impair" sur
rounding property values.
Would Relax Regulation.
At present the board must
deny pool applications if there
is any evidence shown that sur
rounding property will be adj
versely affected. The County
Civic Federation urged this be
relaxed.
The Maryland National Cap
ital Park and Planning Com
mission recommended the
amendment be killed and that
the Board of Appeals retain
jurisdiction over the pool loca-
tionS.
But Commissioner Donald E.
Glngery said the county has to
get these pools built"
He urged that rather open
rules" be adopted concerning
, them and that a special adj
visory group be set up to pass
on each associations applica-
! ton.
; Opponents of the pools. CEN
tered chiefly in the area imme-
, diately surrounding the proposed
{ Cedarbrook Club at Summit av-
enue and Cedar lane, West Ken
: sington, refused to compromise
, the issue.
Threat to Policies Seen.
> Their attorney, Thomas C..
Kelley, termed the proposed
amendment threat to present
coming policies"
' George Sunday, 4206 Amber
: drive, said the amendment would
: remove the right of adjacent
property owners to object to the
!. pools.
/ Passage of the measure would
mean "legiSlating into existence
r a potential pig in the parlor Of
e every residential property own
er" whose land is adjacent to a
proposed pool site, M. Robert
2 Rogers asserted.
5 Louis Justament, Washington
architect and a county resident
2 said, however, the pool councils
e proposals would protect interests
d Of adjacent property owners,
! B. Franklin Kahn, real estate
e man representing the Cedarbrook
opponents. said the pool would
e destroy adjacent property value;
there.
: william ThrOckmortOn, ex-
president of the Washington Rea
) Estate Board. disagreed, however
t and added that the pool councils
two-pronged attack was much
more likely to benefit thar
harm"
Mr.. Throckmorton drew sup
port from Julian p. Dell and Ry.
! der c. Ray, whose homes lie neal
Edgemoor Club, when he said the
= 31-year pool was used as a selling
l. point by real estate men in that
area.
Mr.. Kelley said amendments
to provide all regulations needed
to protect adjacent property
owners would be so complicated
as to discourage pool associa-
tions.
Assistant County Attorney 10.
seph M. Kyle pointed out that
both private and public pool.
now can be built in residential
areas without Board of Appeal,
approval. Only the community
pools, finarced, owned and op.
Grated by families, are barre
under the rigid rulings of TIL
Board of Appeals. from which
they must get coming exceptions
Donald III. Hunt, president o.