Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-02-02
By Elaine WojtanOwski
GA. 4-S898

AdiillilS, dS q pIOlGSSlOil anu
as a community preoccupation, is
rapidly finding place in our
lives. While our city planning
commission (citizens who volun-
teer their services) and our city
planner (Mr. Plavnik, a new EN-.
ployee) are making plans for or
derby and profitable expansion of
the city based on progress and
prosperity, the Federal Civil De-
Tense Training College at Olney
is planning to pick up the pieces
in case there should be a "con-
flict of interest" on the interna.
tional level.
AS natural born eScapists, we
will dismiss the unpleasant pos
sibilities first.
The TEA sent two Of its mem
bers to the training college last
weekend for an intensified course
in home protection. Bill Landae
ia and Mary McQueeny attended
classes from $50 to 1920 Friday
night, 7:30 a. m. to 1890 p. m.
Saturday and from 7:30 to 800
on Sunday.
Late Sunday they were grad
uated from the instructor"
course and will now be able to
pass on their knowledge to other
groups in the community. Mary
reports that the course was more
fascinating than terrifying and
what they learned will have prac-
teal application without an atom
ic disaster.
The courses in fire fighting
rescuing trapped people from deb
ris, first aid and emergency san.
itation procedures, win be valu.
able in ordinary little old disas-
tiers like hurricanes, floods and
fires.
With the current trend in floods
and hurricanes, one needn't be an
alarmist to take selfish inter-
est in survival methods.
=
In his talk on taxes at the last
TEA meeting, Councilman Alex
Greene stressed the value receiv-
ed for our tax dollar in Rockville.
He pointed out that penny by
penny comparison of costs with
and without the charter was diff
ficult, not only because of the
difference in services provided by
the city and the County, but also
because of the different fiscal
policies followed.
Money spent for capital inn
provements in Rockville actually
pays for these improvements,
whereas in the County the CAPT
tai expenditures are largely for
the payment of interest on the
money borrowed to make the i'm
provements.
Our pay-as-you-go policy, in ad-
dition to providing the citizens
with the Incompatible pleasure of
solvency, also allows greater lee
way in all our planning. The
city will not be hampered by old
financial obligations when the
time comes to implement the mas
ter plan being made for the city
now.
At meeting of the Rockville
unit of the League of Women
Voters last Monday, Mr.. Plavnik
explained the general concept of
city planning and urban renewal
and showed a movie on the mas
ter plan for Atlanta.
This helped to clarity the ma
ture of Mr.. Plavnik's assignment
in Rockville. 1t is a staggering
undertaking. The problems of
traffic and building codes, which
seem to us largely physical, are
complicated not only by economic
considerations, but also by social
patterns and, of course, individual
liberties.
Mr.. Plavnik confirmed Mr..
Rapp's sad announcement that
once an area is Zoned commercial,
the CITY has no control oveY. what
type of building is erected. 1--WE
have in mind, of course, the pic
lures of beautiful plaza" shop.
ping center which were publish.
ed before Geereart's tract was re.
zoned and the quonset type struc.
ture now shown on the billboard
as Coming soon"
Before any definite master plan
can be made for the city a study
of traffic patterns, population