Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-11
Upper County Plan
For Zoning Vetoed
Root Proposal
For Ordinance
Beaten, 81
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN

E6JCCbCU q IAlOblOLI Wy TICdC1 ASE
Gutheim, calling for the accept
ance of the $50-a-day consult
ants recommendation that woult
have paved the way for public
hearing on a permanent zonins
ordinance and coming map.
BY the same vote, the Commits
sion adopted a resolution sub
mitted by Charles H. Jamison
establishing the half-acre lot al
the minimum tract for home
construction throughout the up
per county except for a section
in the Potomac Hunt Country
area and another section in thu
GAINESVILLE election district ir
the shadow of Sugar Loaf Noun
tain.
Montgomery has a temporar!
coming ordinance passed in No
vember. 1854, postponed foul
times in its effective date anc
now slated for enforcement or
January 10.
Proposed Ordinance
Mr.. Root had proposed an or
dinance providing for CONNER
cial and industrial zones anc
three residential zones with five
acre, and two-acre and half -acrt
minimum lot sizes respectively
The actions came at the enc
of a day-long session at which
Mr.. Root presented his recon-
mended coming map and argued
with the three members of the
commission who voted against
acceptance, Chairman Ulysse;
Griffith, w. Mr.. Jamison, ano
Wiley Griffith.
Only few minutes before the
vote, Mr.. Jamison, Joined by the
saying he was unable to accept
the recommendation because he
felt the five-acre lot size pro-
posed for the most of the upper
county's area would make it "im-
possible or unduly expensive for
the average family to establish
q home there"
Root and Jamison Wrangle
Mr.. Root during the ensuing
wrangle with Mr.. Jamison, &C.
cused him of politics in fighting
the Root proposals at public
meetings.
He added that he would never
have accepted his consulting job
with the county if he had known
the situation.
When the very people who
hire you are fighting you it
makes a bad situation. Mr..
Root said.
Mr.. Jamison's resolution would
provide for either two-acre or
five-acre minimum lot sizes in
the hunt country and the Sugar
Loaf area depending on further
Commission discussion.
It also calls for set-backs of
at least 500 feet along the Big
and Little Seneca Creeks and
the Patuxent River to protect
them from contamination and
for possible future parkland use.
Earlier Mr.. Root had submitted
to the Planning Commission a
nine-page written report and a
set of zoning maps carrying five
zone classifications as follows:
/. Agricultural residential -
with a lot-siZe minimum of five
acres to preserve the rural char
acter of the area and to pro-
tect the farm economy;
2. Residential zone Ia two
acre minimum lot size to serve
as a transitional zone between
the agricultural areas and more
dense residential development:
3. Residential zone Ia min
imum lot size of 10000 square
feet or slightly less than one
half acre where neither sewer
nor public water is available.
4. Commercial. and
S. Industrial.
Mr.. Root also proposed in eff
feet a one-year moratorium or
rezonings during which time ap-
plications filed by residents
would be screened by the plan
ming commission and then sub
mitted to the County Council al
the end of the year in the form
of a mass rezoning instead Of
the individual property recon-
ings employed in the suburban
area.
He was supported In general BY
Mr.. Gutheim and Merton F
Duvall.
Critical of Builders
Mr.. Root in his report to the
council was critical of real estate
men and builders, who, he said
find the upper county a HAPPY
hunting ground for develop
ment. He said the area was The
only unregulated portion of the
entire Washington region where
O. real estate boom is in progress
Mr. Root. in turn. was accused
of having a CLOSED mind" wher
he appeared at eight meeting.
during the last three weeks al
which he had presented his rec.
commended coming map.
He also was accused of lin.
timidating" rural residents al
the meetings by telling then
that if they did not get the FIVE
scre coming classification fol
their farms they would face
higher tax bills.
He placed the opposition tt
his proposals in two categories
The first he classified as the
conscientious objector" VIII {
doesn't want anyone to hell hin
how he is to use his land.
Usually he knows little Of
coming and its advantages, Mr.
Root said.
Opposition "Organized"
The second category, he said
was the organized opposition
which has been set up by rea
estate developers to keep thu
entire area wide open for the