Evening star., 1960-08-07
Arlington Snar|ed
On Land-Use Plan
Brown Terms
Board Action
An 'Absurdity'
By JOHN BARRON
Star Stan Writer

BY JOHN BARRON
Star Stan Writer
Hopes of completing Airing
tons long promised master
plan evaporated in a cloud of
confusion yesterday at a county
board meeting which one mem
ber termed unbelievable"
Warned by a citizen that
anything it did would be wrong,
the board decided to do Moth
ing for the time being about
the last unfinished part of the
plan, proposed land-use pro-
gram.
It finally agreed to meet
later to try to decide what
to do.
Chairman Herbert Brown de-
nounced the decision as "the
crowning absurdity."
I'VE are acting like a bunch
of frightened old women" he
declared.
I'VE are retreating so far
that We give the impression
we have done nothing and that
what we have done we are
going to review and probably
defer"
The trouble arose when
board members began to wran-
gle about how to mark and
the color Of the Ballston area
on the suggested land-use map
which was to have been ready
August 18.
Yielding to citizen protests,
the board last week rejected a
planning staff proposal for fu-
ture Development of the area
and ordered restudy of it.
Planners Criticized
Planning Commission mem
ber John Coyle started the
discussion by accusing the
staff of another helter-skelter,
inadequate job"
will you please crispen up
your recommendation" Mr..
Brown interrupted.
I'm not going to make any
recommendation because what
ever you do will be wrong" Mr..
Coyle replied.
I'VE can't win. then" board
member Ralph Kaul said.
mo, but we can stall this
thing until after the elections"
his colleague. Ernest Wilt, COM
mented facetiously.
Asked how long review Of
the staff proposal would re-
quire, Planning Director Tom
Moore answered:
| I'VE could resubmit it as
! RLSoCIlJCO DCIOIS.
After an hour, the board ul-
timately directed the staff and
planning commission to resub-
NIT a Ballston plan October %
and to confer with the resi-
dents about it in the mean
time.
Marking Undecided
But the question Of how to
mark Ballston on the map re-
manned unresolved.
Board Member Leo Urbanske
suggested that the original
staff plan be represented with
a notation that it has been re-
iected. He also said footnotes
should indicate the status of
other area plans depicted on
the map.
ITO print something that has
been rejected is the height of
folly--bureaucratic nonsense"
Mr.. Kaul asserted.
Mr., Moore said it couldn't be
done anyway.
Just for the record" Mr..
Wilt interjected. I'm going to
vote against the map. I think
1t is a waste of money"
I'll second that motion Just
to see what happens" Dr..
Lucas Blevins said. But a few
minutes later he withdrew his
second.
Someone suggested that in
the interests Of clarity. the
RallSton area be left blank.
IF we try to clarity too
much, we'll wind up putting
out a snow white land use
map," Mr.. Brown said.
Many Studies Considered
DR.. Blevins remarked that
the board has considered so
many area studies. he isn't
certain just what has been
done and proposed a special
meeting at which board mem
bers could find out.
ITS obvious that the staff
is reporting that it cannot pre-
pare a map which will reflect
land use in Arlington County
at this time" Mr.. Urbanske
said. He then moved that ef-
forts to publish a map be
Cancelled.
The motion passed and the
board voted 3-2 to convene in
special meeting August 1S to
consider what to do about the
map and land-use program.
Mr.. Brown and Mr.. Wilt dis
sented.
County Manager A. T. Jund-
berg said he does not know
how long completion of the
master plan now will be de-
layed.
During the 1859 political
campaigns, candidates said they
had been advised that the
master plan was 95 per cent
complete and would be ready
early this year.
Cost of preparing it was es-
timated yesterday at more than
100000.