Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-15
bsaBy CHARLES L. HOFFMAN

'Sa0J NAAAAAA6k5 lie AOA "A<A&s
50 So-called "snob coming" wal
u blasted last night as the Mont
dsomery County Council was urgee
to reverse its field in its approach
ito coming in the rural area.
~ The proposal for a new APP.
proach came as the council helC
the second in q series of five
grasSroots meetings on the pro.
posed new upper-county coming
ordinance.
About 200 farmers and land
owners continued to hammer
away at the flve-acre minimum
lot size which a majority of the
council proposes for the agricul-
-tural zone.
The zone would encompass
more than SO per cent Of the
land in the rural area. landown-
ers contend.
Half-Acre Lots Favored
Donald r. LambOrne of Olney
urged the council to permit one
half acre home building sites
In the agricultural zone.
a7e Mr.. Lamborne suggested that
the two-acre or larger home
site restriction he reserved for
/, the white fence Potomac Hunt
Club area and for any other
area which votes the tighter con-
trolls for itself.
/. An overwhelming majority, in
q stand-up last night, indicated
they favored the half-acre lot
sizes
Mr.. Lamborne. the councils
own choice for a seat on the pro-
posed revised observation-disclosures
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, scored the five-acre
minimum as an arbitrary fig
ire" He said:
1.-THE ordinance will create a
!, freeze on development. A num-
her of planners have told me
there is no doubt the five-acre
lot size will retard growth"
'eAss Calls 1t "Snob Zoning"
10 Mr.. Lamborne said one promi'
ilent planner from the Urban
Land Institute had termed the
proposal "snob coming" usually
employed ito regulate the cos'
Of homes"
Last nights session again saw
the council put its effective
uuiet-spoken county attorney
Charles M. Irelan, on the stage
with his short-talk presentation
to explain the ordinance and tt
sell planning and coming gen
orally to the rural area.
After an hour-long talk ane
another hour of answering ques'
stions, farmers at 1890 pm. got
,dtheir chance to express theil
views on proposals for inclusion
in the ordinance. Before TIT
evening ended, however, land
owners suggested a change o.
procedure that would put the
Observation-Disclosures session al
the end of the program for thu
next three meetings.
Last night. Mr.. Irelan, noting
that he had heard much tall
. Of projections in the interest o.
farmers, said he would like K
hear "the real thought OF TIN
farmers themselves not thu
one who puts on overalls ane
says he is a farmer"
+ Referendum Urged
Warren Tydings Of Laytons.
, vile urged a referendum on the
z lot size proposals to determine
the desires Of the farmers.
=" why not admit 1t thu
" ordinance limits the whole ares
to farming" he said.
"aA Mr.. Irelan said the five-acrI
size represents the councils gen
eral belief of what constitutes tn,
minimum for farming in tn,
rural sections.
p Such a farm site lis about tn
worst punishment you can Civ,
a person." David Martin, Of Lay
louisville. said. with 200 acre
you can enjoy taking care Of II
: With this size you would worl
yourself to DEATH"
w. d. N. Burnham Of Gathers
burg, told the council it lis nont
of your business" as to whether
or not farmers farm their land
Mrs. Vestus Wilcox, of Lay
Va louisville. however, said that thu
proposed ordinance, if 1t haG
been in effect, would have pro
hibited "a terrible thing from
happening in Laytonsville.' Sh
declined to comment further
on the incident to which sh'
was referring.
Without such an ordinance
development will be hodge