Evening star., 1957-12-29


clearly needed" in his suburbs
undisturbed woods still stand
in Somerset. he said. and the
land should be saved for q
park Of the future.
He urged not only regional
parks, but open spaces dotted
among metro communities ac-
cording to an overall plan.
Preserving play space through
the mushrooming Washington
metro was q major concern of
Is mayors who wrote Senator
Bible. Democrat Of Nevada.
committee chairman.
Senator Bible released sug-
gestions from Maryland ON
cials for the congressional
study yesterday. Last week. he
publicized letters from District
and Federal agencies. Virginia
proposals viii be made public
next Sunday.
Fight to Keep Parks
The conservation Of vacant
land posed q myriad Of prob
lens for different towns, Mary
land mayors told Senator Bible.
Pressure groups are at work
on the Greenbelt Council to
change plans to develop l.l00
acres Of Interior Department
land in the city for Q park.
Mayor Thomas J. Canning
warned. There have been efforts
to use this property for Gov
eminent buildings. he said.
In Washington Grove, q l50-
home community. citizens set
aside 100 acres Of parks. play
grounds. woodland and recrea-
ton areas. according to George
A. Pughe. mayor. Now indus
trial and commercial develop
ments. banned in town, are
crowding washington Grove
boundaries.
Bordering residents who
failed to save space for their
own parks are using WASH
ington Grove reserves. too. He
said his community taxed st.
self heavily to provide open
spaces and couldn't afford in
creased costs Of outside use"
Morningside and Seat Pleas
ant stressed playground needs.
Morningside Mayor William H.
Stewart said his towns SS2
homes were built without a
single lot set aside for recrea-
ton. Mayor Ben H. Watkins
said the only play areas in
Seat Pleasant were overcrowd-
ed parcels near elementary
schools.
Mayors cited these other
problems.
Colmar Manor
Mayor Harry w. Hill called
Tor Q ctty-county tax adjust
ment. For town taxes. the town
relieves Prince Georges County
OF trash and garbage disposal:
street. sidewalk and storm
sewer repair; some 10 per cent
OF police protection: and
numerous other services. !"
Mr.. Hill wrote. Yet. the county
performs these duties In unin-
corporated towns.
Route ! should be relieved Of
truck traffie. he said. and high
way lighting between the Dis
trict and Maryland eommuni-
ties needs to be frightened.
Greenbelt
Councilmen regard mass
transportation as their first
problem" Mayor Canning said.
He noted that Greenbelt was a
key location for a terminal for
express transportation to cen
tral Washington. The town is
on the Baltimore-Washington
parkway and viii be tied by a 4
eloverleaf to the new inter-
county belt freeway. A termi-
nal close to these major thor
oughfares also could provide
fringe parking for future COM |
muters boarding express mass
transit TO the District.
University Park
Faster transit. modernized
highways to Washington and q |
new Federal community Of
buildings on a 50-acre tract
east Of town were urged by
Mayor Fox. His letter noted
that Greyhound buses served |
as the only major common car
rier for University Park resi-
dents. 1t runs along Route / |
ut q fair" rate. he said.
But inside the District, he 1
said service was reported cir
ritatingly SLOW"
He said truck trafiic could be 1
shifted from Route / by finish /
ing reconstruction Of Edmon-
ston road to Route / at Belts
vile.
Mount Rainier
individuality Of political sub
divisions must be recognized,
City Engineer Roy T. Fowkes
insisted. Otherwise, towns like
Mount Rainier will be lost in
overall mass transportation,
roadway. fiscal and industrial
planning essential 10 meet area
problems, he said.
M0rningside
Mayor Stewart stressed tighter
zoning control TO assure future
development Of Morningside
with parks and Fairgrounds.
Glen Echo
Community leaders noted
their interest In area wide zon-
ing, planning. transit, highway
and school programs.
GAINESVILLE
Residents have nearly ex-
hausted limits Of wells and
cesspools. according TO Julia Z.
Jeffers. clerk for the Commits
aioners. She said her town