Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-11-10
Most Jamestown, Potomac
Zoned for 2, 5 Acre Lots;
Says will Change if Wrong

lower Montgomery County, Rock
Vile and GaitherSburg, was hired
by the County Council two weeks
ago to prepare a permanent"
Zoning ordinance for upper Mont.
gomery County. He was instruct.
ed to prepare measure setting
forth commercial, industrial and
residential zones only.
The council ordered, "such resi-
dental zones shall provide for
minimum lot sizes of one-half
acre except where public water
and/or sewer facilities are avail
able and such other minimum
residential lot sizes as the com.
mission shall determine in
the public interest"
Mr. Root says he has shown
preliminary sketches" of pro.
posed zone boundaries in the Po-
tomac and Jamestown districts
to the up-county planning unit
The three or four sheets" were
largely divided into two and five
acre zones, according to Mr..
Jamison.
Mr.. Jamison says one strip on
Travilah Road known as Carlton
Mills Subdivision" was placed in
a half-acre zone. Several areas
were classified commercial and
one tract, the quarry on Piney
Meeting House Road, was listed
as industrial. Mr.. Jamison says
the rest of the area was zoned
for two or five acre minimum
lots.
Councilman Jamison, one of
the strongest advocates of an
ordinance setting a minimum lot
size of half.acre, says the two
large-lot zones caused me the
most concern. Mr.. Jamison con-
tinued, II won't go along with it
except on trial basis. If the
people in those areas want two
and five acre lots, its OK with
me-"
Mr.. Root states, Nothing I've
done so far has the approval of
anyone. The Planning Commits.
sion has given me little leeway
here at the beginning. If I'm
wrong, I'll change"
Mr.. Root meets tonight with
Darnestown and Potomac citi-
zens. He says he win possibly
amend the map he's "sketched"
in accordance with suggestions at
tonight's session and will present
the zoned map to the up-county
planning commission next We'd
nesday for approval.
Mr.. Root says, ANY planning
is compromise. l will try to
pull together all the suggestions
| get, weed out the unworthy
ones, and weave the rest into
coming patterns. AS a planner,
I'm afraid / can't accept all the
suggestions.
The planner says he will meet
with citizens groups in each
area before presenting the com.
mission with a zoned map. He
states, 81 don't put. much stock
in public hearings, but l do in
citizens groups"
Mr.. Root says, THE County
Council wants what the people
want. If | find they want larger
minimum lot sizes, ! will let the
commission know. | expect to
prepare an ordinance and map
the council can pass"
He's not yet started preparing
the written text Of the next
ordinance, says Mr. Root. The
temporary ordinance, shelved
until January 10, 1856, called for
agriculture, country.home, resi-.
Dental, commercial and indus.
trial zones with a five,acre mini.
mum lot size in the agriculture
zones. Maps prepared by the
staff of the Upper Montgomery
County Planning Commission
placed about 90 percent of the
land in the agriculture zone.
Meanwhile, Ulysses Griffith,
w, chairman Of the upcounty
planning unit, says, Our com.
mission will insist that the
County Councils directive IS
carried out"