Evening star., 1955-07-17
By GENR GOODWIN

Althcush It il In the washing.
TN suburbs that the creates
efidencs cfirecent l&isd specula.
tipn in Maryland highway rights.
ok-way has been uncovered, Statt
rtads oficials yesterday vert
looking to this same area fol
epidance IN eurbing such specu-
l4tion.
tspeciically. they were consid.
eting ways Of extending to Other
ptrts Of Maryland the zonine
atd subdivision controls exercised
q the Washington suburbs b.
u e Maryland National Capita
Etrk and Flaming Commission,
III park and planning commits
spn controls were In : effeci
Throughout al of Maryland. spec
uIators would be restrained and
Tue State could save thousand;
oI taxpayer dollars In right-of-
Wy acquisition" said Russell n
Mccain, chairman Of the State
Hpads Commission.
yf An Outside Controls
Evidence Of speculation turned
ub BY The Star earlier this
nipnth along new Route $40 In
Montgomery County al lay out
side the so-called regional dis
t1ct In which the park and plan
mig commission has jurisdiction.
The regional district covers the
clpse-in suburbs Of Montgomery
add Prince Georges Counties.
Only four other Of Maryland's
"a counties have coming statutes.
Ben Du Pre- Of Bethesda, as
sibtant right -of-way engineer In
charge Of SECURING the land for
Route 240 and three other near
b Maryland roads projects. is
ntw under suspension BY: the
commission on . charge Of mis-
conduct involving alleged eo-op-
ethtion with spectators on prof.
eets In Montgomery County.
Sole Trouble Spot
iMr. Mccain said the WASH
irtgtor area is the only one in
the State ''in which we have
had any trouble with -specu-
lators."
Asked whether the commission
was checking into possible spec
ulation elsewhere in the State,
Mr.. Mccain said the right-of-
way files are being checked but
"a far the investigation has COW
cred only the Washington area.
Jbseph p. Buscher. assistant at
torney general In charge Of SRC
legal affairs, u conducting the
investigation set Oh by Mr..
Du Pres suspension on june 10.
Mr.. Du Pre- is to be given q
hearing before the State per-.
sonnel commissioner in Balti-
more at 10 am, Thursday.
One Of the land speculation
deals on new Route $40 that has
attracted attention would not
have been possible in the Park
and Planning Commissions reg
ional district, . spokesman for
the agency said.
He referred to the transaction
IN which Max Gutenberg Of
washington bought 1888 acres
for $66. 800 In west Gaithersburg.
Md. on February 9. 1868, and
sold 28.S acres Of it to the Roads
Commission on August 4. 1858.
for 100000.
One of the reasons cited BY
the SHC right-of-way depart
ment for payment Of such d high
price for the Gutenberg land
was that it was part Of a SUBJ
division. What had happened
was that Mr.. Gutenberg, In the
six months he held the tract,
persuaded the Mayor and Council
Of Gaithersburg to allow him to
subdivide It.
This had the effect Of increas-
ing the lands value since, on
paper, st least, it had been
transformed from grazing land
to . potential village Of 400
homes.
If Mr.. Gutenberg had been
dealing with the park and PLAN
ming commission, 1t would have
insisted, under the agency's reg
ulations. that he dedicate the
land necessary for the Route 240
right-cf-way. II he had balked.
the planning commission has au-
thority to reserve the land
needed tor three years.
Has Master Plan
The planning commission IS
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