Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-16
Nearby Maryland Storts
NewPIonninq Idea June |
BY GRACE BASSETT

BY GRACE bASSETT
Gentleman farmers and sub
urbanites in nearby Maryland
are about to start the town hall
type of, area planning they
fought to win from their Gen.
eral Assembly.
More local politics will mix
with planning in Montgomery
and Prince Georges counties next
month. Sharp conflicts Of in
terest between new suburban
city jewellers and estate owners
in the country are due to be
threshed out in hearings through
out the region.
The burden Of directing their
own growth will pass from State
to county control under laws to
go into effect June / and June
Is.
On June l. the Upper Mont
gomery County Planning Com
mission dies. Its responsibilities
for pinpointing where future
schools. sewers. highways. air.
ports and farms should lie will
be taken over by a bigger, BIZ
county commission.
Commission Spreads Out
On the same day. this expand
ed Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission s
jurisdiction will fan out over all
Of Montgomery County and slices
Of the Bowie, Oxon Hill and Pts
Getaway districts OF Prince
Georges. This puts $50 square
miles adjoining the Capital City
under planning arms Of the two
counties.
Exempt from MNCPPC ad-
visory powers in upper Montgom-
cry. however. will be seven towns
Rockville. Gaithersbur, Wash.
ington Grove, Poolesville
GAINESVILLE. Laytonsville and
Brookeville. They may have
MNCPPC help il they ask for II
and pay extra taxes to finance 1t
Another law shifts from the
State TO the counties the power u
appoint members of the new
MNCPPC on June is.
Pressed by Montgomery plan.
ners. Republican Gov. McKeldir
relinquished his appointive pow.
er over the planning commission
by signing the laws in March
Now serving are six members
four Republicans and two Dem.
ocrats.
Provides 10 Members
The June is reorganization
calls for 10 members. S to be
named by the MONTGOMERY
County Council and S by the
Prince Georges commissioners
Both county governments are
Democrat-controlled.
So three Democrats and two
Republicans from each county
are expected TO be named to the
new commission.
Montgomery political leaders
speculated that leading Demo.
cratic contendors from theii
countysfor the job are:
Donald E. Gingery. a de.
veloper who belongs 10 the
present MNCPPC and represent.
III on the National Capita
Regional Planning Council ir
the Interior Department.
J. Newton Brewer, jr., an In.
vestment banker who worked or
the Millard Tydings and H. c
Byrd campaigns and is a clos,
friend Of State Senator Northrop
Ulysses S. Grifnth ~, who
owns a 375-acre grain and live.
stock farm near Laytonsvill.
and heads the Upper Mont.
gomery Commission. due to ex.
pire June. The new commission
under the law. must have repre-.
sentation from at least on,
rural area in each county.
Republican Prospects
On the Republican side. tn,
two commission incumbents
Arnold Mckee. ST., Washington
auto dealer. and Sidney M
Oliver. who operates the Couran
Press, are being seriously con
sidered to perpetuate planning
! Louis Gravelle, Washington at
torney and former member Of tn
County Council and Board o
zoning Appeals. looms large II