Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-19
Council Votes
4-to-3 to Order
New Program
BIZ CHARLES 3. HOFFMAN

~ NuAAbht1eS -. 1AOk NAV
Postponement Of the enforce
ment OF q temporary coming
ordinance for Upper Montgom-
cry County and substitution Of
g permanent ordinance early in
1856 appears virtually certain to-
day.
The county council early to-
day, In q four-to-three vote, di-
rected the Upper County Plan
ming Commission to prepare q
comprehensive coming plan and
q permanent coming ordinance"
to be submitted to the council
within SO days.
The council directive calls for
establishment Of commercial.
industrial and residential zones,
Eliminated hy the directive IS
the controversial agricultural
zone requiring lots Of at least
five acres In size.
Act After Hearing
The councils action came
about two hours after a public
hearing on its own revision Of
the temporary ordinance slated
to become effective November
and a proposed extension Of the
effective date to January 10.
Some 200 persons turned out
for the hearing in the County
Once Building at Rockville.
The council directive, proposed
by Charles Jamison. also calls
for the residential zone to per-
nit one-half-acre lots where
public water and sewer are
lacking.
Mr.. Jamison also inserted q
provision that would permit the
planning commission to estab-.
llsh other minimum lot sizes Ii
residential zones.
The proposal paves the way
for providing areas. such as the
Potomac-DarneStown hunt coun-
try section, with lot size mimi
NUNS greater than the half
acre.
Council President j. lGrahame
Walker, Mrs. Stella B. Werner
and Grover K. Walker fought
the Jamison resolution and re-
fused to support the hiring Of
Irving C. Root as q planning cone
sultant TO prepare the coming
plan and ordinance for the COM
mission.
The trio said they opposed the
hiring unless Mr.. Root was given
no directives and was ordered
TO come up with his own pro-
posals from q professional
planners viewpoint.
President Walker said he did
NOT believe Mr.. Root could pro-
duce q permanent ordinance and
comprehensive zoning plan in
the 30 days his contract allows.
Writes Personal Cheek
3 Mr.. Jamison. to support his
belief in Mr.. Roots ability to
carry out his pledge of so to 90
days for completion of the ordi-
nance. wrote q personal check
of $500 to pay for his time. il
It took longer.
The council yesterday also re-
ceived q recommendation from
It's planning commission urging
D permanent ordinance with
only three zones and the half
acre minimum lot size for the
entire upper county.
A minority report. however.
was filed by Vice Chairman Mer-
ton r. DuVall and Frederick
Gutheim. urging that the tenn
porary ordinance be put into
effect while the permanent ordi-
nance is prepared.
In obvious reference to the
Root 60-to-9O-day plan. the
said:
TO amend and enact the tenn
porary interim ordinance and
call it q permanent zoning ordi-
nance would perpetrate . PLAN
ming fraud.
1.-THE half-acre minimum lot
size would defeat.the purpose Of
an agricultural zone as pro-
posed In the Temporary ordi-
nance" the minority said.
The minority also called for
coming the Damascus area ac-
,ording to a present plan under
study to provide for increased
residential and commercial areas
and for establishing on the
coming map other commercial
and industrial areas.
The map as proposed last
night zoned no areas commercial
,r industrial.
Kelsey Leads Backers
y 4 A5