Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-02-16

old, all right: founded long be
fore 1900, the center of one of the
( sCounty's five original election dis
tricts. And its got young ideas
or specifically one unshakeable
idea: that Clarksburg is about tc
blossom into a big, prosperous
town. Maybe not as big and pros
porous as Silver Spring, but al
.ss least, as one townsman puts it
another Damascus within II
years"
A number of planning experts
Is though not quite as enthusiastical
IS ly, agree that Clarksburg is or
llt the threshold of development.
Iss The prophesy of prosperity is
- based on several facts. Clarks
burg is between the new National
Pike and. old Route 240 on cross
County Route 121. 1t is the first
exit and entrance point on the
new superhighway above the
i Atomic Energy Commission
planned headquarters at German
town, four miles to the south
Clarksburg affords fine scenic
views from its high position. Wa.
:. ter is plentiful. The soil readily
absorbs septic wastes.
On the other hand no town
T-- looks less ready for expansion.
Clarksburg's total commercial de.
development consists of two gen.
% eral stores and three gas stations
Ieyand garages. The entire election
districts population of 2,701 is
.bIan increase of only 81 people
10 from January, 1855 The town
saIhas no theater, drug store, or doc
.mtor. And as in all communities
-1othere are "old timers" who want
1o the town to stay as it is.
NJ Nevertheless the signs of i'm
pending expansion are there.
while preparing his proposals for
an Upper Montgomery County
coming ordinance planner Irving
c. Root commented that Clarks.
burg needed a master plan to
eodguide anticipated growth. Mem.
bers of the County's planning
staff agree.
- Land Value Up
qa Since the Acc has announced
its intention to relocate in Ger
mantown, land value in the
fredericksburg area has increased
sl9from $500 an acre to as much
% as 500 an acre. Almost twice as
,Iamany new homes will be built in
the area this year than were built
last.
A group of leading Clarksburg
noiresidents feel that shopping cen
r. ter at the intersection of ole
Route 240 and Route 121 would
s.. trigger Clarksburg expansion
aaeGeorge Mallet Provost, retired
Navy captain, says by the time the
60 Acc office opens, Clarksburg
hlJ' could easily support shopping
s9scenter." He says the Clarksbure
Community Association, the
towns unofficial governing body
of which he is ex-President, eco
operate" with any developer.
Most townsmen admit that nc
SscClarksburg resident could finance
"a shopping center project.
Another dream fondly nurseC
agby the ambitious town is tha
usanother government agency viii
relocate in the area. Ralph Mar
tiz, Clarksburg Civil Defense
head, says the Weather Bureau
the Coast and Geodetic Survey
,iI1and section of the Agricultur,
st Department are planning to re
srilocate and he hopes at least on,
newill pick Clarksburg,
2B An electronics expert who live.
sssin Clarksburg is repeatedly Jus
ing his influence" to persuade al
electronics factory to build it,
new factory in the area.
ffol Openly Courts Expansion
as What is this little crossroad
% that so openly courts expansion
nc Clarksburg is the center of tn,
70 election district of the same nam,
that contains Hyattstown and Ce
q dar Grove as the other majo
towns. About 500 people liv,
- within a one mile radius of tn,
Clarksburg post office.
The election district contain
23,719 acres, II percent of tn,
up-County area. Only one percen
of the election district is used TO
residential purposes. Thirty.fiv
percent is pasture, and % pei
cent is woods, pointing up the ma
jor land use: dairy farming.
~ About 10 percent of the popu
lation works in Rockville, Beth
esda, Washington, and Frederick
Many of the women are employ
ed at the National Institutes o
Health. Typical of the commut
- ers are Mr.. Provost, a Washing
ton patent attorney; 1t Col. job
b Beecher, comptroller of FredC
rick's Camp Derrick; Dave Brar
% denburg, an American Universit
professor; and Mr.. MartZ, a Ger
eral Accounting Office employed
Many Are Commuters