Evening star., 1960-10-24
Preserving Open Spaces

On the palIOC cOnIronClng maryland
voters November will be the somewhat
staggering total of is proposed amend
mentS to the State constitution, many
Of which are not widely understood and
several Of which are highly important
to the Washington area. Two that are
especially worthy Of support, in our judg-
ment, are the So-called "open-Space"
amendments listed as Questions 13 and
IA on the ballot.
Their purpose, stated in its simplest
terms, is to continue special real estate
tax assessment policies which are de-
signed to help farms and other open
spaces in the expanding Maryland sub
urbS to resist the economic preSSures Of
urban development. Actually, these
policies have been in effect since 1856,
when they were authorized by the State
Legislature. Under the 1855 law, tax
off1cials have been able to assess the
value Of farms in the suburban fringe
on a basis Of their agricultural use,
rather than on the traditional standard
Of the highest use to which the land
might be put.
The reason for this law Is quite
simple. AS subdivisions and shopping
centers have pushed into the suburbs,
land prices have Skyrocketed. And under
the old basis OF tax assessment, nearby
farms-becauSe Of the high price Of land
in their general area-would have been
slapped with tax bills that would have
made their continuation as farms i'm
possible. So the farms would shut down,
and the farmerS-regardleSS Of their
desire to do So-would sell to land spec
ulatorS. Loss Of farm productivity, how
ever, is only part Of the total loss. For
the Legislatures action reflected grow
ing awareneSS that urgent steps are
needed to break, here and there, the
solid sprawl Of urban congeStion-that
the amenities of suburban living can be
saved only by the preservation of open
spaces. Suburban country clubs and
private golf courses are caught in the
tax squeeze to no less degree than
farms, and the proposed amendments
are designed to afford them the same
chance for survival.
The amendments are necessary be-
cause the Maryland courts early this
year ruled that the 1856 law violated
provisions Of the State constitution.
Subsequently, the 1856 law was repealed,
and re-epacted later this year in i'm
proved form, with more specific stand
ards. simultaneously, the Legislature
proposed the constitutional amendments
to avert further court attack. Thus far,
tax officials have held Of the application
Of higher assessment standards to open
SpaceS-but they can continue to do so
only II the amendments are approved
next month.
Effects Of the "open-space" pol
icieS are limited. Farms in the country"
areas of the State, for example, are not
affected because their highest use" is
an agricultural use Nor do the policies
place heavy burden on other property
owners. According to Montgomery
County legislators, the application Of
the 1855 law has taken only 4 Of / per
cent out Of the county tax base-which
they say has added less than so cents a
year to the total bill Of the average
homeowner.
Certainly this is small price, and
the Maryland residents who are paying
1t are by no means unique. Metro areas
in every part Of the country are attempt
ing to cope with precisely the same
problem, and many Of them are expert
menting with new forms of tax relief.
No one claims that the Maryland pro-
gram is permanent solution, or per-
feet one. Its administration needs to
be watched closely to prevent abuses.
The existing legislation may also need
Improvement, and new enabling laws
will have to be weighed with the greatest
care. What Marylanders mainly will be
voting on next month, however, is the
concept that a certain amount Of open
space needs to be preserved in the metro
politan area, and this is concept which
we believe is eminently sound.
Transit Pro0ress