Evening star., 1955-07-17
Maryland Looksto Zoninq
To Control Speculation
nx GENE GOODWIN

Nv GENE GOODWIN
Although it ID in the Washing
ton suburbs that the greatest
evidence Of recent land specula-
ton In Maryland highway rights
of-way has been uncovered, State
roads ofncials yesterday were
looking to this same area for
guidance in curbing such specu-
lation.
Specifically, they were consid-
ering ways Of extending TO other
parts Of Maryland the Ecnins
and subdivision controls exercised
In the Washington suburbs hy
the Ma1yiand-National Capital
Park and Flaming Commission.
If park and planning commits
sion controls were in eject
throughout all Of Maryland. spee-
ulators would be restrained and
the State could save thousands
Of taxpayers dollars in rightsof-
way ACQUISITION said Russell II.
chairman Of the state
Roads Commission.
All Outside Controls
Evidence of speculation turned
I'D by The Star earlier thi1
month along new Route 240 Ia
Montgomery County all lay out
side the so-called regional dis
trict In which the park and plan
ming commission has jurisdiction.
The regional district covers the
close-in suburbs Of Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties.
Only four other Of Maryland's
23 counties have zoning statutes.
Ben Du Pre- Of Bethesda. as
sistant right-of-way engineer in
charge Of SECURING the land for
Route 240 and three other near
by Maryland roads projects, is
now. under suspension by the
commission on q charge of mis-
conduct involving alleged co-op-
GRAFTON with SPECTATORS on prof.
ects in Montgomery County.
Sole Trouble Spot
Mr.. Mccain said the WASH
ington 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
so far the investigation has COW
cred only the Washington area.
Joseph d. Buscher, assistant at
torney general in charge of SRC
legal affairs, is conducting the
investigation set on by Mr..
Du Pres suspension on June 10.
Mr.. Du Pre- is to be given .
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. q spokesman for
the agency said.
He referred to the transaction
in which Max Gutenberg of
Washington bought 66.33 acres
for 500, 800 In west Gaithersburg,
Md. on February 8. 1858, and
sold 28.5 acres OF it to the Roads
Commission on August Z, 1858,
for $4,000.
One Of the reasons cited by
the SRC right-of-way depart
ment for payment Of such a high
price for the Gutenberg land
was that it was part Of q 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. at least. it had been
transformed from grazing land
to q potential village Of 200
homes.
If Mr.. Gutenberg had been
dealing with the park and plan
ming commission. it would have
insisted, under the agency's reg
ulations, that he dedicate the
land necessary for the Route $40
right-of-way. II he had baked,
the planning commission has au-
thority to reserve the land
needed for three years.
Has Master Plan
The planning commission is
guided in this regard by its Mas
ter Plan of Highways, adopted
in 1858 after public hearings
and clearance with SRC road
builders. In that plan, the COM
mission estimated that since its
founding In 1927, it had re-
served nearly 1900 acres Of sub
urban land for State highways
at a saving of about So million
to the taxpayers.
lie Roy C. Moser, chief right
of-way engineer for the SRC,
had high praise for the sub
urban Maryland planning COM
mission in an article he wrote
for a 1858 Highway Research
Board bulletin. He said the
agency substantially reduced
right-of-way costs to the State
through its subdivision control,
its practice Of obtaining dedica-
tions Of land alongside roads
slated for future widening and
It's careful review of applica-
tions for rezoning."
State Senate President Louis
L. Goldstein said he and other
legislators were told by New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania turnpike
officials last year that they set