Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-22
MontgomeryBudget
Asks Airport Funds
SIS Million Total
Also Proposes
Wheaton Center

Plans Tor an airport, new
county service buildings in Be-
thesda and Silver Spring and q
municipal center for Wheaton
highlight the proposed SIS mil.
lion capital budget for Mont
gomery County.
The lions share of the budget
will go for schools. with 49,
million worth of construction
recommended by County Man
ager M. l.. Reese.
Mr.. Reese, however, slaShed
$3.1 million off the requests
made by the school board.
Specific projects he recon-
mended be eliminated included
a $4,000 addition to Bethesda.
Chevy Chase High School, $780,.
480 for a Seven Locks elementary
school, $583,500 for an addition
to Kensington Junior High.
$451 500 for an addition to Car
yer Junior Senior High, $75,350
for Montgomery Knobs elemen-
tary addition and $3.50, 1000 for a
Viers Mill elementary addition
already provided for.
Site Requests Cut
At the same time he cut re-
quests for site acquisitions, not
ing there was a $45O,000 revolv.
ing fund available for this pur.
pose.
Mr.. Reese Slashed all element-
airy school construction requests
by Is per cent and all secondary
requests by per cent. He said
this was made necessary by the
need for maintaining "the proper
balance between construction
requirements and what the
county is able to finance at this
time"
He suggested the school board
cut classroom standards to
those set by the State Board Of
Education and consider new
methods of construction.
His capital budget also pro-
Ivides for $250.000 to be matched
by Federal funds, for purchase
of an airport site in the county.
Such an airport is needed, he
said, to meet the demands OF
private plane owners and in
duStry which will be doing bust.
ness in the county.
The manager proposed $1.45
million for replacing the over.
crowded county buildings in Be.
lthesda and Silver Spring.
To Sell Buildings
Both buildings would be sold.
In addition the county probably
will dispose of the Liquor Dis
pensary Building on Colesville
road in Silver Spring because,
Mr.. Reese said, the cost of reno
waiting it for use as a police sta
Ition and service building will be
too high
In both Silver Spring and
Bethesda. the service buildings
are likely to be moved out of the
.high-value commercial centers
where adjacent parking is scarce.
Another $4,000 is included for
preliminary planning and site
acquisition for the proposed
municipal center at Wheaton.
Such center will combine
police. service, library and health
facilities.
The manager has recon-
mended $4,000 to plan for estab-
lishment of volunteer firemen
training center on the county
farm near Rockville and $4,000
for an addition to the county
court house.
The manager recommends
moving ahead with the educa-
tional center plan with establish
ment of one at Poolesville and
Damascus
Pilot Project Under Way
Under this plan, health clinics
and libraries are provided in
conjunction with construction Of
new schools. A pilot project Is
nearing completion on Rocking
Horse road in the Randolph Hills
area.
He also proposed $400,0 900 for
parking lots in Bethesda; $780,.
900 in Silver Spring, $50, 900 in
Wheaton and $10,500 for a lot
adjacent to the Rockville court
house.
These projects in the suburban
area are contingent on the coun-
Gil increasing the parking lot
district tax rate from its present
40 cents per 500 of assessed
valuation. 1t is levied only on
commercial properties.
The manager deferred requests
for a swimming pool in the
Spring area and
a golf course in the upper county.
He recommended $3.7 million
worth of street and road con-
Struction. some $1.l million .esS
than requested by the Depart.
ment of Public Works.
Included were $524,000 for
business streets in Silver Spring
and $493,000 for Bethesda BUSH
ness streets.
About one third Of the CAPT.
tai improvement program rec
commended by the manager would
come from sources other than
hond iSsiies