Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-06-05
Zonine Crisis?

gomery County public, by this time,
weren't rather hopelessly confused on the
subject of coming in the rural part of the
county.
Should there be vast areas where home
could not be built on less than two acres,
or one acre or one-half acre? How much of
each category should there be? And where?
How much land - actually - is needed for
adequate protection of the Potomac River
watershed?
These questions are extremely difficult
- if not impossible - for the average citizen
to answer unless he spends a great deal of
time studying the issues and even then
judging from present confusion among the
experts - the problems enumerated are diff
cult to resolve.
Because of this, those who would exploit
for their own personal gain have been able
to do so. Also, those who would make politi-
cal hay by aligning themselves with one side
or the other, have had a field day.
The coming fight is a two-headed
monster On one side are down-county Cor
urban) groups and individuals vitality in
terested in the county as whole and whose
thinking is influenced, primarily, by
esthetics and theory On the other side are
up-county Tor rural) interests who own the
acreage there and, hence, are understand
ably interested as hard, practical matter,
in the dollars and cents aspects of the con-
troversy
Also, third complicating factor - to
be quite blunt - is the unhappy fact that
land use in Montgomery County is up to its
neck in politics. And this is an election
year. Pity the poor voter who tries earnest
" to make heads or tails of the confusing
situation.
AS usual, the answer to the problem can
probably be found about midway between
the two extremes. For example, it is absurd
to say = as some are doing 4 that because
of recent zoning decisions the entire "up
county" is destined to become an Implanted
high density population area. On the other
hand, the present County Council has UNI
questionably ignored sound land use prac-
tees in certain recent coming decisions.
We are impressed with certain facets Of
this controversy. Chief among them is this:
much of the present alarm seems premature!
High density population in the past, has
followed water and sewer lines. These lines
are still decades off in many areas of this
huge county. In fact, the present population
win almost be doubled when areas that al
ready = or very soon will = have water and
sewer lines; i.e., the Cabin John Valley now
opening up and the tremendous area between
Norbeck, Gaithersburg and Rockville are
built up.
Also, the health department is the final
authority on whether wells and sewage sys-
TENS can be installed and if conditions are
bad for either or both on one-half acre sites
the health officials must be firm
Add to all of this the fact that an area
such as the Manor Club - known as high
type subdivision is made up of one-half
acre lots and it is difficult to lose complete
faith in the future of Montgomery County
as desirable place in which to live.
1t is interesting to note that most of the
clamor for two-acre coming comes from per-
sons who personally, have no more than a
small city lot to keep up. These individuals,
UNDERSTANDABLE, want to preserve scenic
vistas in Upper Montgomery County. Who
doesn't?
The problem is simply this: who can
afford to do it? The farmer is slowly being
taxed out of the picture. It is a little UNI
realistic to envision an Upper Montgomery
County of the future consisting only of
estates with hired men on tractors preserving
the greenery. There should be some of this
but there must be provision = plenty of it =
for average income families.