Evening star., 1955-02-06
PlanningC
Jurisdiction Reforms
Sought in County
By Gene Goodwin
star.staff cerrespendsnt

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ANNAPOLIS. Feb. s. The
jurisdiction of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission would be ex-
tended throughout Montgomery
County and the upper county
planning commission would be
abolished under legislation
agreed on by the Montgomery
delegation to the General As
sembly.
Blair Lee, Democratic chair
man Of the Montgomery dele
cation, said he and his colleagues
also are agreed on these other
reforms in the bi-county plan
ming agency:
l. Local control of the COM
mission through appointment of
the majority of its members by
the Montgomery, County Council
and Prince Georges County
commissioners.
Provision Added.
2. A provision that the Mont
gomery or Prince Georges men,
bers of the commission serve, if
requested by the local govern
ing bodies as a county plan
ming board to assist the council
or the Prince Georges commits
sioners. This provision was
added in recognition of the
county councils legitimate need
and desire for a planning arm
of its own" To help it do such
things as planning a county
public works program, Mr.. Lee
said.
At present, the commission has
three members. from each of the
two counties. Mr.. Lee said the
planning board proposal is de-
signed to give the local govern
ing bodies planning aid and ad-
vice without destroying the BIZ
county nature of the Park and
Planning Commission.
3. A provision empowering the
county council and commission
ers to adopt subdivision regula-
tions for the two counties with
the planning commission con-
tinuing to draft and administer
the regulation. This is proposed,
Mr.. Lee said. in the hope that
1t will end conflicts such as the
one that has arisen between the
subdivision regulations and the
Montgomery county road code.
Responsibility For Tax.
A change in the body to be
given the responsibility for set
ting the Planning Commissions
administrative tax, now set at 3
cents by the legislature, has ap-
proval Of the majority of Mont
gomery's six house members, Mr..
Lee said.
Under the proposal being dis
cussed, the tax would be set
each year by the county council
In its May legislative session.
Mr.. Lee, a former vice chair
man Of the Maryland Planning
Commission, former executive
officer Of the National Capital
Planning Commission and now
a private planning consultant in
Silver Spring, has been working
for several days on a complete
recodification of the laws gov
erning the bi-county planning
agency.
Thus far, the Prince Georges
legislators have male little COM
ment about what reforms they
desire in the planning setup of
the suburban area of the two
counties. They have been dis
Cusslng the extension of the
. commissions jurisdiction
throughout their county-a much
more stifTly resisted proposal
than in Montgomery-but have
reached no definite conclusion.
One recommendation from the
commission itself that the agency
be taken out of politics by in
creasing it's membership to
eight, four from each county and
four from each party, seems des-
tined for the legislative waste
basket.
Change in Control Seen.
The commission is now con-
trolled by Republicans. The
Democratic leaders of the local
delegations have made it clear
that whatever they decide about
the number of planning COM
missioners, control of the agency
is going to be put back in Demo-
cratic hands.
One other major recommenda-
tion of the Planning Commission
being cold-shouldered by the
legislators is a proposal that sub
dividers be required to set aside
adequate land for parks, schools
and other public uses.
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