Evening star., 1954-09-14
Council Gets
81
Wheaton Row
On Shop Center
Residents Clash
Over Proposed
Rezoning Of Site

@Nr
Wheaton area residents clashed
last night over proposed rezoning
of the 79-acre Heitmuller tract
as a site for a huge regional
shopping center. The tract lies
on the southwest side of Viers
Mill road opposite the Wheaton
triangle business area.
The Montgomery County
Council took the rezoning request
under advisement. The rezoning
question is one of the biggest
the Council has faced in its four
years in Office.
The rezoning was opposed by
some 200 residents who live near
the tract and the Kensington
College View Citizens and
the Stephens Knolls Citizens
Associations
Commission Opposed.
The Maryland-National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commis-
sion recommended denial of the
rezoning request. The commits
sion said it doubted the economic
ability of the area to support
the center and also noted that
the tract was outside the master
plan for the Wheaton business
district.
Simon Sherman. who several
months ago bought the prop
erty for 100000. went into last
nights hearing with the support
of the Wheaton Chamber Of
Commerce, the Wheaton Citi-
zens' Association and the Con.
necticut Avenue Estates Citi-
Zens' Association.
The Silver Spring Board Of
Trade took no stand on the
proposed center.
Proposal for Center. ~
Mr.. Sherman specifically
asked for commercial rezonir1g
of 16 acres for two department
stores, a food store, several small
shops, a restaurant and a filing
station. He also wants light in
dustrial rezoning for a bottiing
plant, building center and gar
den-harware shop and apart
ment house use of Is additional
acres. The remainder of the
tract would include landscaping
and parking for 1000 cars.
Planning consultant Fred w.
Tuemmler differed sharply with
the Planning Commission and
said the Wheaton primary trad
ing area would support twice the
commercial establishments now
there.
|. Potential sales now amount to
$27 million, he said. and exist
ing stores are getting only about
$12 million. BY 1860. he said,
the primary trade area would
have a potential of $43 million
and would easily support the
proposed center.
B. H. Sexton, traffic consult
ant. said the shopping center
would not unduly tax Viers Mill
road and the Kensington- Whea-
ton road if they are improved in
line with the State Roads Com
mission plan.
Sees Tremendous Growth.
Planner Blair Lee, III, sup
ported Mr.. Tuemmler's conten-
tion. and described the site as
the only large one existing ad-
jacent to a commercial area. He
forecast tremendous growth Of
the area north of Wheaton and
east of Georgia avenue.
l.. E. Masoner, of the Wheaton
Citizens group. which has con-
sistently fought commercial ex-
pansion northward, put the as
| ISOLATION on record IN support
of the reZoning.
Albert E. Conradis, attorney
for nearby residents, charged
the rezoning would destroy the
zoning plan and do nothing con-
structive for the citizens.
Further Opposition.
Bitter opposition also was
voiced by Nathan Levin. presi-
dent Of the Colonial Investment
Co., which is slated to begin con-
struction soon on a SO million
shopping center across from the
! nearby Viers Mill Village center.
Thomas G. Oyster, developer
of the Wheaton triangle section,
said he had no fear of competi-
tion from the proposed center.
The council will keep the rec
ord in the zoning cases open for
five days and the attorneys for
both sides will be permitted to
file additional briefs.