Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-18
Continued from Page B.

dental coming is part of the
commissions preliminary gen.
eral plan on which public hear
ings were held recently.
The general plan, according to
William c. Burrage. the commits
sion's director of planning, docs
not indicate any commercial
coming at this location"
1t lists commercial develop
ment on the west side of Wis
consin avenue stopping at Mont
gomery street, one block north
of the Woodward & Lothrop
store. and two blocks from the
Hecht site. There also is the
large shopping development on
the other side. the Chevy Chase
Center, whose parking lot ex-
pandS north as far as High
street. one block from the Hecht
property.
The rest of the area on the
west side. while Zoned for resi-
dental use, is predominantly
tourist homes for which special
exceptions are needed, instead of
rezoning.
Ruling Awaits Staff Report
Jesse F.. Nicholson, secretary
treasurer of the commission, said
the bi-county group would make
no recommendation on the
Hecht application until it re-
ceiveS a full report from its
technical staff on March 81 or
April 10.
On the 1854 application by the
Dorset Corp, both the commits
sion and its technical staff urged
disapproval.
Mr.. Burrage suggested that
several other tracts might be
more suitable locations for a
new department store. One, he
said, would be in the Woodmont
Triangle area Of Bethesda, which
the commission has recon-
mended for full commercial de-
velopment. Another is a site al
ready zoned for commercial use
on River road, near the Balti-
more d Ohio Railroad line and
not far from the disputed site.
The third, he added, might be
the projected development for
the CABIN John Creek area
around the proposed intersection
OF new U. S. Route 240, now be-
ing built. and Bells Mill road.
Meanwhile. the citizen groups
and official local governing
bodies are busy lining up OPP
position. The five-member Som
erSet Town Council, headed by
Mayor Frederick w. Turnbull, a
patent attorney, has voted its
unanimous opposition to the
Hecht application-as it did in
all the other rezoning pleas.
Leads Citizens Committee
Hobart Rowen. a Somerset
councilman and writer for News
week Magazine. was named
chairman of an eight-man citi-
zens' committee to direct the
opposition.
Working with him are Mrs.
Joseph O'Brien, housewife and
former Town Council member
who was one Of the leaders inI
the fight against the 1854 coming
Charles H. Joyner, William F.
Belts, Howard c. Grieves, War
rem Vinton, Iris Coffin and Will
liam Downes.
Mr.. Rowen, at Somerset rally
February 25 attended by more
than 300 persons opposing the
rezoning. said the town planned
to develop a legal argument
against the rezoning on the basis
Of the towns charter which rules
out commercial buildings.
Stedman Prescott, jr., an at
torney engaged to wage the fight
against the coming at the April
rs hearing, expressed doubts
about this provision, asserting
that the charter provisions onI
commercial property had been
abrogated by the Maryland
Legislature when it gave the
County Council exclusive author
ity over rezonings in the county
Halls Action of Chamber
Mr.. Rowen hailed as the most
significant" new development
last week the action of the
Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber
OF Commerce.
This group voted 20 to 10 to
oppose the Hecht application
Another 40 persons, however, abb
stained from voting, and some
observers suggested that others
of the 450-member organiza-
ton might have stayed away
from the meeting to avoid TAX
ing sides.
I'VE are delighted by the
Chambers action" Mr.. Rowan
said. land feel in effect 1t is a.
reputation Of its president.
Last week also. the seven
member board of managers of
the CHEVY Chase Village voted
its unanimous opposition to the
rezoning proposal and sent
letters to all its residents urging
them to join in the fight.
The Somerset School Parent
Teacher Association, in it's
monthly newsletter for February,
noted that its Executive Com
mittee, carrying out instruc-
tions Of the membership at the
February meeting" had sent
letters to the County Council
and Park and Planning Com
mission also opposing the re-
coming bid
Hecht Company Plans
Mr.. Rowen said support also
has been assured from residents