Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-12
Parks, Schools
In Master Plan
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN


/ A preliminary master plan Of
schools. parks and recreation
areas with emphasis on park
school planning is in the hands
OF the Maryland-National Capt.
ltal Park and Planning Commits
sion.
The plan. prepared by the
commissions staff in conjunc-
ton with school and recreation
ofiicials. is being submitted to
school and county officials in
both Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties.
The plans call for three new
major regional park areas in the
two counties totaling some $500
acres.
It also recommends establish
ment Of 10 civic centers for teen
ayers In the suburban Maryland
business centers.
The plans envisage Is of the
park-school developments to be
undertaken in Montgomery and
46 in Prince Georges County.
At lpresent there are about Is
such developments in Montgom-
cry and six in Prince Georges.
according to planning officials.
10000 Acres Needed
The master plan would entail
the acquisition of nearly 10000
acres of park and school land in
the two counties over q period of
Is or more years.
The plan was prepared after
the commissions staff had estab-
lished 81 planning areas. nine in
Montgomery and eleven in Prince
Georges and one crossing bound
larry lines.
The planning areas were set up
on the basis of existing and flu
ture highways. regional shopping
centers. q senior high school and
populations Of from 10000 to
$4,000 persons.
Each such area. the commits
sion staff said, should have a
recreation area of 20 acres or
more.
The planning areas then were
broken down into communities
defined as having a community
shopping center. 5000 to 10000
persons. a junior high school and
ia community recreation center
OF 6 to nineteen acres.
Neighborhood Areas Seen
Neighborhoods also were estab-
lished on the basis OF 500 to
3 900 population. common social
and economic interests, natural
boundaries and schools. 1t was
proposed that some 215 neigh
borhoods should have play
grounds Of up to six acres.
The park-school concept COM
bines a school with a park of
appropriate size-such as ele-
lmentary and playground. junior
high and community center and
senior high and area center.
THE savings resulting from
this plan are apparent when one
considers that when our children
are in school the parks are idle
and vice versa" the staff noted.
The three major regional parks
proposed would be located as
follows:
/. About 1000 acres along Rock
Greek east Of Rockville and north
of Avery road to be tied in with
the Rock Greek Park system.
2. A regional park and golf
course of 200 to 800 acres south
of Palmer Park and north of
Central avenue in Prince Georges.
3. All or most of the l.200-acre
tract owned by the Federal Gov
eminent south of Greenbelt be-
tween the Washington Baltimore
parkway and Edmonston road.
The teen-age centers, where
supervised. informal indoor social
activities would be carried on.
are proposed in the business CEN
tiers because of youths desire to
be near the bright lights" a
commission spokesman se'A
They would be located. gener-
ally speaking. In Silver Spring,
Bethesda. eaton, Langley
Park. Greenbelt. Seat Pleasant,
Forest Heights, Bladensburg,
Hyattsville and Suitland.
At present in the two counties
there are some 3.700 acres of
parkland. In Montgomery. be-
sides the stream valley parks,
there are 80 local parks includ-
ing two owned by municipalities.
In Prince Georges, there are
only nine local parks owned by
municipalities and nine owned
by the Planning Commission.
The staff report on the master
plan was prepared by Planning
Director William C. Burrage,
John P. Hewitt. John S. Hewins,
Arthur B. Hatton, and Lawrence