Evening star., 1956-12-26
Maryland Planning

Your recent editorial, 'Un-
sound Planning Proposed" on
the future of planning in the
Maryland suburbs of WASH
ington reaches a conclusion
that runs counter to the views
of several Montgomery County
civic groups that have devoted
much effort to the study of
this complex problem. The
problem is complicated because
three levels of planning are
involved, and it is not easy to
find meaningful and workable
distinctions b betw een these
levels.
The first level, and the one
that has first claim on the
interest of local citizens, is
planning for the development
of local communities. We in
Montgomery County feel that
we have not had the kind of
local planning that is called
for by the present rapid growth
of the urban portion of the
county, and that the answer
to this problem lies in having
a county planning commission
responsible to the elected Off
cialS of the county government
and with jurisdiction over the
whole of the county.
The second level is the BIZ
county level, for which the
Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commits
sion has had responsibility for
some % years. If this agency
did not exist. it is doubtful
that anyone would advocate
creating it. If, having6recog-
nized the need for stronger
and more responsive local plan
ming bodies, one looks for
important bicounty planning
functions to assign to a re-
organized MNCPPC, it is diff
cult to identify problems that
cannot better be distinguished
as either local or regional
regional, that is, in the sense
of pertaining to the whole
Washington Metropolitan Area.
Bicounty planning problems
as between Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties are
those that pertain to any two
adjacent counties anywhere.
Such problems are usually
worked out by consultation be-
tween planning bodies of the
respective county jurisdictions.
The third level is, of course,
the regional level, which is
understandably the focal point
of the thinking behind your
editorial. This is the most
troublesome aspect of the
whole situation. and one that
causes many to throw up their
hands in despair. The most
important problems of the
Washington Metropolitan Area
concern jor highways. trans
portation. water supply. water
shed control, and population
distribution on a broad scale.
They are problems broad in
scope-not detailed zoning and
subdivision problems.
1t seems to us that either
one Of two conditions is nee
essary for effective metropolis
tan area planning: some kind
Of area authority or an area
planning commission composed
of members who truly repre-
sent the local governmental
authorities that must carry
out the area commissions rec
concentrations. In the first
case. the job Of the planners
is difficult enough, but in the
final showdown on any spe-
cific issue there exists deci-
sion-making body that has
legal powers to carry out a
decision: in the second, the
planners must first agree
among themselves and then
convince their respective local
governing bodies to carry out
the area commissions recon-
mendations---a doubly difficult
task. requiring not only a
great understanding Of the
problems ard desires OF the
entire area but also intimate
knowledge OF what can be ac-
complished by persuasion in
the local political arena.
In seeking a formula for a
legislative program TO guide
our delegation to the Mary
land General Assembly. the or
ganizations we represent have
each agreed upon what seems
10 be the most straightforward
solution - the transfer Of all
planning functions now exer-
cised in the county to one sim
gle MONTGOMERY County Plan
ming Commission responsible
TO the County Council
The MNcPPC has a natural
bias in favor Of It's continued
existence as a planning body.
and has a. public expense
hired a consulting firm to
make a survey that recon-