Evening star., 1961-12-16
Bold PIonnino

AS expected, the proposed mas
ter plan for Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties introduces bold new
concept OF development controls to the
Washington area. Its goals, patterned
along the lines of the imaginative Year
1000 Plan of the National Capital
Planning Commission, are first of all
to accommodate the tremendous popu-
lation increase which is expected in
nearby Maryland during the coming
decades, but to do so in manner de-
signed to curtail the formlesS sprawl
of subdivisions over the entire Subur-
ban landscape.
Basically this would be accom-
plished by concentrating new reSiden-
tial development in a series of cor
ridorS," flowing outward from the
central city and encompaSsing existing
urban development. In the farther
out areas, however, zoning on both
sides of these corridors would provide
that the population density gradually
taper off, until, between the corridors,
wedges" of open space would be pre-
served. In order to absorb the in
creased population, the plan requires
much higher-density zoning than now
prevails within the corridorS-particu-
larly in the form of large apartments,
BY the same token, in the areas
bordering the corridors, development
would be restricted to large residential
lots-much larger than the two-acre
size which is the maximum under ex-
listing zoning. And, within the "open
space" wedges, still other new forms of
zoning and development controls, not
yet fully developed, are contemplated.
Undoubtedly, in the coming months,
these proposals will encounter massive
opposition, particularly from developers
and from the owners of open land
who want no additional restraints on
the ultimate development of their prop
erty. Thus far, however, reaction from
public officials without exception has
been favorable, although cautiously So
The eMaryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, which must
adopt or reject the plan, has prom
ised a speedy refinement of it's details,
so that public hearings can be held
as soon as possible. This probably will
require at least three months. ]. New
ton Brewer, head of the Montgom-
cry delegation on the commission,
also wisely has assured the Montgomery
County Council that three controver-
sial watershed plans for the upper
part of the county-to which the Coun-
Gil had vigorously objected-will be
reStudied and brought into conform
ance with the overall plan.
- While these assurances of co-opera-
alton are hopeful, there is a more ur-
gent step which needs to be taken
Immediately. This need is that the
Montgomery Council members and the
Prince Georges County Commissioners
be fully acquainted with the general
plan as it stands, and that these bodies
express at least an informal opinion as
to whether they concur in its basic
philosophy. For in the final analysis,
the plan, no matter how acceptable
it may be to the Planning Commits
Sien, can be effective only if the gov
erning bodies of the two counties are
willing to adopt the zoning necessary
to carry out its purposes. If the gov
erning bodies are in general agreement
that the plan is moving in the right
direction, the planners can proceed
with a degree of confidence. If not,
the areas of disagreement should be