Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-19
Upper { ounfy 70 Get
Another Zoning Plan
Council Votes
4-to-3 to Order
New Proeronl
By CHARLES {. HOFFMAN

ordinance for Upper Montgon1-
cry County and substitution OF
"a permanent ordinance early In
1856 appears virtually certain to-
day.
The county council early to-
day, in q four to-three vote, die
|rected the Upper County Plan-
ming Commission to prepare q
comprehensive coming plan and
Is permanent zoning ordinance"
Ito 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
1.-THE temporary ordinance slated
Ito become effective November l
land 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 residents, zone to per-
INIT one-haIf -acre lots where
public water and sewer are
lacking.
Mr.. JamisOn also inserted .
provision that would permit the
planning commission to estab-
lish other minimum lot sizes In
residential zones.
The proposal payes the way
for providing areas, such as the
IPotomac-D Jamestown hunt coliIl-
try section. with lot size mimi
NUNS greater than the half
acre.
Council President j. Grahame
Walker. Mrs. Stella B. Werner
land Grover X. Walker fought
the Jamison resolution and re-
fused to support the hiring u3
Irving c. Root as q planning con-
lsultant TO prepare the coming
iplan and ordinance for the COM
mission.
The trio said they opposed the
hiring unless Mr.. Root was given
mo directives and was ordered
Ito come up with his own pro-
lposais from q professional
planners viewpoint.
7 President Walker said he did
mot believe Mr.. Root could pro-
|duee q permanent ordinances ard
comprehensive zoning plan In
the 80 days his contract allows.
Writes Personal Check
| 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
lot $500 to pay for his time. II
lit took longer.
| The council yesterday also re-
|ceived q recommendation from
its planning commission urging
Ia 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
IGutheim, urging that the tenn
lporary ordinance be put into
effect while the permanent urdi-
nance Is prepared.
IN obvious reference to the
Root 60-to-90-d day plan. the
minority said:
ITO amend and enact the teln-
Iporary interim ordinance and
leall 1t q permanent zoning ordi-
nance would perpetrate Q plan-
ming fraud.
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-
Icording to q present plan under
study to provide for increased
residential and commercial areas
land for establishing on the
zoning map other commercial
land industrial areas.
The map as proposed last
might zoned no areas commercial
Tor industrial.
Kelsey Leads Backers
Leading the proponents Of the
ordinance and the agricultural
zone last night was Arthur J.
Kelsey, representing the Mont
gomery County Planning AS
Isociation.
Mr.. Kelsey scored the half
acre minimum lot for the en-
tire upper county as being
equal to no coming at ALL"
Opponents of the 5-acre lot
requirement and the agricul-
tural zone renewed their ate
tacks on the legality Of the
Ordinance.
o. w. Anderson. president Of
1.-THE County Farm Bureau. said
farmers and members Of the
Landowners Association had been
advised the organizations would
stand on records made at i've
public meetings on the ordi-
nance in the Upper County when
the two groups bitterly attacked
Its provisions.
Last night the groups were
represented by Attorneys David
Belts and James r. Miller.
Mr.. Belts attacked the coming
map as being merely a land use
map and said the ordinance went
far beyond authority for coming
granted the county by the
Legislature.
Mr.. Miller scored the map as
showing an Overwhelming mass
Iof SPOT zoning'' contrary to