Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-05-14
Hits Dream, CRY

A4ACllS RAOA~AeJ oAAA ASNNhe1J
concluded hearings by the Mont
gomery County Council on zon-
ing requests which, if approved,
would encourage construction of
a proposed Dream City" near
Redland, should arouse the seri-
GUS concern of taxpayers and re-
sponsible public officials.
deliberately prepared "plans"
for this so-called Satellite City"
may leave the intended impress
sion that this syndicate-backed
scheme is the perfect answer to
the orderly and logical develop
ment of this beautiful farm
community at the headwaters Of
Rock Creek.
Proponents of this plan sug-
gest that sewer facilities already
authorized will encourage a dis.
orderly development Of this area
by present home and farm own.
ers and that the public will be
better served by allowing these
syndicate spectators to fatten
their pocketbooks at our ex-
pense.
There is more than one way
of dipping into the public
trough. One way is so obvious
and the penalties so great that
smart operators would think
twice before attempting the old
fashioned method of simply
raiding the public treasury. Let
us examine a more refined and
borateiy camoflaged ap-
proach to the same and, the
Model City" gimmick:
A satellite" expert, the very
latest moniker for Planners for
Profit, purchases modest acre
age of farm land at bargain
prices. He Immediately calls in
his planners and schemers and
publicity experts, and almost
overnight, the radios and news
papers are carrying stories
about the logical advantages OF
a Dream City," in which every
thing has been planned just
about perfectly. Everything will
be just what the prospects will
want. Schools, churches and
parks are generously provided
for in this model community.
(That Is, the plan shows where
they might be located II some
one cares to come up with the
necessary funds to acquire the
site and complete the necessary
buildings, etc.
Apartment houses, light indus
trial and commercial coming
would be suggested for appro-
pirate areas in the larger mas
ter plan" for our dream city.
The only faint warning to the
casual observer Of the satellite
plan might lie in careful study
of proportions. For example,
we might see a master plan COW
ering thousands Of acres, but a
careful search of public records
would indicate that our Satel-
lite Expert owns only a very
small percentage of the land
embraced by his master plan"
Further research would reveal
the interesting fact that many
OF the home and farm owners In
the larger area of the master
plan" have no intention of sell.
ing their property to our Satel-
lite Expert or any of his agents,
How then. can we accept this
"Dream City as anything more
than a pipe-dream? win the ul-
innate cost to the taxpayers
fade away as easily as the fan
tasy Of a dream at the first full
light Of day?
We will find that the wide
thoroughfares pl nned for
streets In our model city will
start and end with narrow, two
lane farm roads and that miles
Of new superhighways will have
to be built to carry the teeming
population from the Satellite"
to employment centers of Wash.
ington, d. c.
We find that already over
burdened Rock Creek, at near
flood conditions after even mod
est rains, would have to carry
an even larger volume of flood
waters. Our Satellite Expert"
has apparently overlooked some
simple facts Of life, that ID
rainwater and melting winter
SHOWS will seek a lower level.
CD water cannot find storage
In the soil when that soil has