Evening star., 1955-02-08
P|anningGr GroupSeek,
To Cut Out Site Bans
From Master Plan

The Fairfax County Planning
Commission proposes to elm
mate from the suggested master
plan all 3 and 5 acre minimum
lot restrictions, the Burke air.
port site and a Federal Gov
ernment dispersal site.
These recommendations on the
master plan of Consultant Fran
els Dodd McHugh were agreed
to by a majority of the planning
commission last night as they
decided to go ahead with a
series of public meetings to ex-
plain the proposed master plan.
Six members voted to elm
mate the 3 and 5 acre lot min
imums which Mr.. McHugh has
recommended for approximately
three-fourths of the county in
what he termed the agricultural
and conservation areas.
Commission Put on Record.
A resolution offered by Clay
ton Taylor was adopted placing
the commission on record in
favor of half-acre lots as the
largest minimum requirement.
Half-acre lots are the maximum
requirement under present coun-
ty coming regulations.
Planning commission mem
bers who voted with Mr.. Tayler
were Chairman Keith Price, Aus
tin Hollway. John w. Rust, A.
Slater Lamond and George
Landrith.
Before the majority went on
record favoring the half -acre lot
maximum, Commission Member
Thomas S. Gray attempted to
promote a compromise by sug-
gesting a 1-acre lot require
ment for the agricultural and
conservation areas.
Voting with Mr.. Gray against
the half-acre lots were County
Supervisor Mrs. Anne wilkins,
John w. Brookfield, County Ex-
ecutive C. C. Massey. o. v.
Carper abstained from voting on
the resolution.
Statement by Minority.
Mrs. Wilkins issued minofity
statement on the lot question
after the meeting. stating that
the planning commission should
not make any recommendations
for changes in the master plan
until it has heard suggestions
from the public.
"It may be necessary to
change the 3 and S acre
lot limitations in the agricul-
tural and conservation areas
after public discussion" said
Mrs. wilkins. II am Of the
opinion, however. that Mr.. Nc
Hugh's basic reasons for these
limitations are such that they
should be maintained if at all
possible. The problem of water
supply should be sufficient rea-
son in itself for discouraging
high-density development in the
western section of the county.
(. In my opinion it would not
be planning but rather the high
est kind of folly to encourage
development of urban type
growth in these areas which are
too far removed from municipal
water supply to be economically
served by it and where the
ground water supply is hardly
sufficient to support an agricul-
tural community.
Elimination Of the Burke air.
port site and the proposed Cow
ernment dispersal site near Gen.
treville was agreed to by men,
bers Of the Planning Commission
without dissension.
Public Meetings Planned.
The Planning Commission in
structed its staff to arrange a
series Of meetings to discuss the
McHugh recommendations with
the public. A commission spokes-
man said the group made its
suggestions on the master plan
public at this time so residents
Of the county can know what
the Planning Commission is con-
sidering
The Commission agreed, sub
ject to approval by the super
visors, to place Mr.. McHugh's
written report and map of the
master plan on sale as soon as
enough copies can be printed.
The complete set of maps and
the written report are to be