Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-02-09

Except for the first six months
of his life Frederick Guthein
has been a Montgomery County
resident. With best-selling book
he has drawn the interest of the
nation to this part OF the country
His internationally recognized
skill as land and housing plan
ner has been called upon TO helE
direct the county's postwar de
velopment. But very few people
know anything of the life OF
Frederick Gutheim.
He is active in three separate
fields: he is planning consul
tant, a writer and a citizen in
terested in regional planning
problems.
Mr.. Gutheim has been most in
the public eye lately because OF
his membership on the Upper
Montgomery County Planning
Commission since its creation in
1850 and to a lesser degree be-
cause of his membership on the
National Capital Regional Plan.
ming Council, the only body Fed.
eral agencies must by law consult
on their Washington area eXpan.
sion plans.
He Owes Something
He attributes his voluntary
contribution of time and talent to
the planning groups to his deep
conviction that man owes some
thing to his county.
Mr.. Gutheim and Gaithersburg
Mayor Merton Duvall are a
minority on the five-man UMCPC
opposed to a coming ordinance
drafted by County Councilman
and UMCPC member Charles
Jamison. The Jamison coming
ordinance (Which would permit
half-acre lots throughout the up
county except in two estate
areas" near Potomac and Comus
where two-acre lots would be
minimum has the approval of
the planning commission and will
be discussed at a public hearing
before the County Council
Tuesday.
3 Mr.. Gutheim favors coming
ordinance prepared by hired
planner Irving c. Root but re.
jected by the UMCPC. Mr.. Roots
plan would zone much of the up
county for two and five acres but
would provide for half-acre tracts
around existing communities.
but" says Mr.. Gutheim,
better than both until a compre.
hensive plan is prepared would be
the temporary ordinance passed
in November 1854" The interim
ordinance, which has never taker
effect, provided for ten, two, and
half-acre lots in the up-countS
and zoned tracts according tc
their present size.
Charges Delay
Il Mr.. Gutheim charges, "The
temporary coming ordinance a.
presently enacted, its provisions
and its effect, have been subject
ed to a planned campaign Of
delays, misrepresentation anc
protests organized by a small
group of self.interested land
SPECTATORS, real estate brokers
home builders and Small-mindeC
Democratic machine politicians. +"
Mr.. Gutheim says he oppose.
the Jamison ordinance because i
does nothing to protect the
Seneca watershed "the last water
source for the Washington Subur
ban Sanitary Commission" The
planner says preservation of thu
Seneca watershed draining tn,
county's best farm land, which
we must preserve for agriculture
would not affect development il
the Observation-Disclosures area
or the Damascus area.
The 500-foot building set-bacl
along the Seneca required in Mr.
Jamison's ordinance would no
prevent pollution, believes Mr.
Gutheim. The planner would lik,
10 see land bordering the creel
tit would be called a river in tht
northO turned into a park fol
hiking and canoeing.
Mr.. Gutheim has been attack
ed for his beliefs on count,
planning. Once, after the plan
ner had charged, The commits
sion's action and its adoption O
a substitute tJamison) Zoninl
proposal have not been baset
upon study or objective data,
UMCPC member Wiley Griffith
retorted, I'm tired of being call
ed dummy
Because of his philosophy tina
politics and perfection don
mix, Mr.. Gutheim doesn't eX
pect whatever up-county zonin,
ordinance is finally enacted I,
completely satisfy either tn
large-lot advocates or the small
lot advocates. However, he feel
that if the Jamison measure
passed it will be step forward
He holds, I'VE may have to aC
cept its shortcomings 10 get il
v,,.,,rsrsa.