Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-08-25

once rested his horse under
served on the CAP Telephone
grounds.
Located in the heart" of
Montgomery County, Gathers
burg, has been the storm cen.
ter for many controversies
since my arrival in the town
Is years ago. Having Joined
FREQ B. Cushman Real Estate
lone of the first real estate
brokers in the Upper County
area) soon after my arrival in
town, l watched the original
struggle TO get North Frederick
ave. rezoned for commercial
use, a battle spear.headed by
Mr.. Cushman. 1t was not easy
and there were many bitter re-
ordinations, highlighted by
sale sign erected on the property
of one who would have the town
Yemain the same as when he
found it. You see, the town
grew UP on the Bro Railroad
when railroads were the main
source of transportation, and the
original commercial develop.
ment was along the tracks.
Following the location of the
Atomic Energy Commission in
Germantown and the National
Bureau Of Standards purchase
at Gaithersburg, the pressure
was on for location of new
private industry in Gaithersburg
in the most accessible location
for automobile traffic from all
directions, causing prices on
Frederick ave. to skyrocket.
Again resistance spread among
the settled residents and bust
nesses, the former wanting to
retain the quiet, sedate, tree.
lined streets, and the latter fear
ing the loss of business.
Palmer Employed
The Town Council, recogniz-
Ing the clamor for action, hired
a professional planner to con.
suit with them on future plans
for the town, emphasizing that
any planning should be designed
to save" the old commercial
area. Plans were eventually
proposed which once more Gre
ated furore because Frederick |
ave. was to be turned into a
maze of apartments to help sup
port the existing commercial |
area along the railroad. This
time, partial victory was rea-
lized once more by investors
and those who recognized the
need for expansion in the town,
and commercial coming was re-
tanned in the plans for North |
Frederick ave-; but properties
which had been commercial for |
years on South Frederick ave-, |
plus several other residential
properties and several acres of |
agricultural land across the
road, were rezoned for apart. |
ments. l was caught in this
change-having made plans for
an office in one of the original
commercial properties, where |
could have lots of parking space
In front and be really accessible !
to the public, and found myself
In the middle of a single-handed
battle.
The present trend of indus
tries and institutions to locate
in the suburban area places
Gaithersburg in strategic pc.
sition with its central location
In Montgomery County, on two
u. S. Highways, one State High.
way, the Bro Railroad main
line from Washington to points
West, and only three miles from
the new County Airpark.
Future Science Center
1t has been predicted by
many planners, investors, and
industries that the Gathers.
burg area will be the future
scientific center of the country.
Already Gaithersburg is sur.
rounded by many large tracts
of land zoned industrial and
sitting most advantageously for
the garden type of layout that
modern industry demands, with
plenty of land for scenic devel.
opment of the facilities. Many
prudent investors have already
expressed their confidence in
the area by acquiring property
In and around this future hub
of the scientific industries.
One of the first to begin new
construction in the town is the
Trans Tech Corporation at
Chestnut and Meem ayes. Sew.
eral banks and savings institu.
tons have been cycling the area
for locations. Two of these,