Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-05-07
County Gives Up
On Library Site
Police Station
Plan is Axed
After Protests

A highly controversial pro-
posed site for a Silver Spring
county building and police
station next to the Silver
Spring library on Colesville
I'd. was abandoned-for the
second time-Tuesday by the
County Council.
At the same time the Council
instructed County Manager Mel
win L. Reese to investigate the
feasibility of constructing the
building in southern Silver
Spring, presumably on Fenton
st.
The Maryland-National Capt..
tai Park and Planning Commits
sion several weeks ago recon-
mended a site on Fenton st. be-
tween Easley st. and Sligo ave.
One of the reasons this site
was mentioned, 1t was said by i'm
formed sources, was that q
county service building in that
area might tend to upgrade an
otherwise commercially blighted
area, too far from shopping cen.
tiers to attract more than 0cca.
siOnaI pedestrian traffic.
At the same time, county Off
Gals pointed out that land in
the area suggested by the Plan.
ming Commission has sold as
high as from Sc to SO a square
foot and to top it off, there are
buildings on much of the land.
Abandonment of the so-called
library site came a week after
a capacity-house public hearing
drew indignant response to the
proposal from scores of neigh.
bors and self-styled planners.
Chief among their objections
was that the character and op.
eratlOns Of a police station next
to the library and close to a
Catholic school for girls would
greatly lower the high residen-
tial standards OF the W0odside
Park community.
Other main objection was that
location Of the building so far
east on Colesville I'd. was con-
trary to the Silver Spring mas
ter plan that cuts off commer-
cial development close to the in
tersection of Fenton st. and
Colesville I'd.
County Manager Melvin L.
Reese heard the Councils d.
receive with a dour expression
on his face. 1t was Reese who
three weeks ago stated that the
Colesville rd. site next to the Ii
brary was the only desirable
and available site for the build.
ing.
At that, he was mourning the
wrath of many Silver Spring
residents who turned out In
force August 1857 to protest the
county's plans to erect the build
ing on the same site. That hear.
ing produced harsh reaction to
the fact that part Of the library
site was owned by Frank l..
Hewitt, jr., Washington Subur.
ban Sanitary Commission Com
missioner who this year Is pres
ident of the Silver Spring Board
Of Trade.
The Council circumvented any
possible conflict of interest re-
garding Hewitt and the site this
year by deciding before the hear
ing that they would leave the
price Of the site up to a con-
demnation jury - il purchase
were approved.
Summing up his feelings over
the abandonment of the site,
Reese said: 1.-THE Southern Sill
yer Spring area Is too close TO
the District Line, too close to
Takoma Park and too far away
from the center of the District
served by the police station
II is unlikely, as a result Of
the Councils action, that police
and other county employees at
the existing Silver Spring sta
ton will get any relief from
the cramped quarters they now
share on Georgia ave. near
Colesville rd., at least this year.