Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-07
Zoning and Planning Top
Suburbs Principal Issues

light industry to that area. The
Council is dickering with q small
New York factory looking for Q
new site.
Fight for Pepco's
Montgomery County has been
battling for months to keep Pc
Ipco's 500 million generating
plant at Dickerson, Nd, on its
side Of the river.
Most Of the local governments
vie for research organizations
one Of the most desirable types
Of industry from the standpoint
Of the home owner and q natural
for the Washington area as the
seat Of Government.
But even in this field, residents
Of the affected area are reluctant
to allow such industry near their
homes. When Johns Hopkins
University was to centralize its
scattered research organization
ofhces in a new building on Cedar
Lane in Bethesda, nearby home
owners successfully protested to
the coming board. "
They did not specifically object
to Johns Hopkins, but feared q
change in coming could create q
precedent thai would bring un-
desirable commercial develop
ment.
Mr.. ORourke's worries about
who his future neighbors also
win be worries the planners.
The Maryland-National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commits
sion, which handles the plan
ming for big chunks Of Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
Counties. feels it only recently
has reached the point where it
can take an effective look at
future use Of the land.
Local Problems
It has been too busy in the
Ipast with local problems, brought
on by the rapid development
I'VE would no more than get
one trouble spot Strengthened
out" q spokesman for the COM
mission said, than another
would come up and we'd nave to
rush In there and settle a new
problem"
I Just last fall. the commission
'|got its preliminary master plan
ION paper. combining the expert
ences Of those local problems. II
'lsets UP a program for what those
'iwho drafted It hope will be an
orderly Development in nearby
Maryland.
\ Arlington County, facing q
different situation under q lag
lging planning program. still is
In the process Of getting together
preliminary reports to be de-
Iveloped later into q master plan.
Meantime. open land there has
all but vanished.
Arlington's Hodge Podge
i Arlington faces the problem Of
what to do about the hodge,
podge that has grown up in
some Of its urban areas. A re-
port last year from the Arlington
once Of Planning indicates the
type Of thing that Is worrying
Timothy O'Rourke. compare
lively far away In Spring.
field. Va.
The report said the pattern
Of some Of the development in
the past 20 years leaves much
TO be desired.
The absence Of parks and
Playground" the report went
on, "the fragmenting effect Of
arterial roads and the intrusion
of commercial and apartment
developments In small spot
zones without relation to COM
Imunity facilities produce condi-
lions that are worse than struc-
tural obsolescence."
Fairfax County. where Mr..
O'Rourke lives. has taken q hint
from crowded growth Of It's
neighbors. In an attempt to
preserve an open suburban
aspect. the county has stipu-
lated that no home can be built
on less than two acres In much
Of the western section.
Ambitious Program
That Is one Of the most ambi-
tious coming programs In the
metropolitan area. and II 10 the
one facing q court battle. Mont
gomery County has zoned some
sections for two-acre lots, also
but 1t makes provision for half
acre. 1900 square feet and 5000
square feet lots.
One problem facing planners
lNAwAs.aA ..sN A.. 49,. a. - - I