Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-06

the bridge will connect only
with Maryland's proposed park
and that roads would not be
constructed to other sections of
the island.
But while the State does not
intend to build connecting
roads. Worcester County is
making plans for immediate
construction of a county roac
from the park to the Alderman
subdivision.
Called Berlin Wall"
Worcester Countians, indie
pendent and conservative
minded Eastern Shoremen to
the core, have a tendency to |
view Fede raj encroachment |
with suspicion. A fence put |
UP by the Wildlife Service cut |
off local citizens from some of |
their best fishing.
why it's a regular Berlin |
WALL" said David L. johnson,
secretary of the Worcester
Planning and Zoning Commits
sion. I'VE certainly don't
want the rest of the island bar
ricaded."
Joseph Harrison, county tax
assessor. declared that Secre-
tary Udall wants to turn the
whole island into a big birds
nest. I don't see how we would |
get much money out of tent
erS."
Walter T. Onley, jr., chair
man of the County Board of
Commissioners, said the Fed
eral Government lis trying to
get into everything"
At a tax sale last week, Mr..
Onley picked up two Assateague
lots sold by the county after
the owners hadn't paid taxes
for three years. He won't get
to keep them, though. If the
owner pays the back taxes
within a year.
Economic Objections
The general feeling among
Worcester officials is that the
nine miles the State plans to
take is enough parkland.
Most Of the county's objec-
tons are economic.
All of Maryland's ocean
front is in Worcester County.
Worcester officials foresee AS
sateague Island rivaling Ocean
City as a source of tax rev.
enues. The developed area at
Ocean City and northward to ,
the Delaware line provides
more than half the county's
property taxes. An even longer
stretch Of ocean front is avail
able on the central portion Of
Assateague.
Surely Worcester County =.
isn't called on to furnish a park ,
for the whole United States"
said William G. Kerbin, jr., :
chairman of the county Eco
nomic Development Commits
sion. At last weeks tax sale,
Mr.. Kerbin was successful bid
der on five Assateague lots.
three commercial and two resi-
Dental.
Interior officials reply that
establishment of a National
seashore park would be an eco
nomic boon to the county be-
cause of the tourists it would
attract.
Hatteras Popularity
Since the Cape Hatteras Ma :
tional Seashore Park was eS-
tablished in 1858, the number
of visitors has jumped from
100000 the first year to nearly l
$4,000 in 1861. Interior figures
show.
Officials also said that a
1858 survey showed that prop
erty values in Dare County,
N. c., where the National sea-
shore is located, more than
doubled from 1850 to 1858.
They claim this was because of
the lift given the economy by
the park.
Worcester officials and the
lot owners association claim
that some Federal and State
officials are trying to create a
false impression that ASA
league Island is not a fit place
to build dwellings.
The March storm destroyed a
protective sand dune put up By
Mr.. Alderman, and swept away
about a dozen of some 20
dwellings on the island.
DR.. L. Eugene Cronin, direc-
tor of Maryland's Natural Re
sources Institute, says that
large areas" of the island are
unsuitable for development and
that the natural hazards to
property "can only be over
come by very high COSTS"
april FOOLS Joker
David Hume, member of the
State Board of Natural Re-
sources, said the development
of Assateague has been called
an April FOOLS joke" Noting
wave and wind hazards and
lack of sewer and water syS-
TENS, Mr.. Hume said, Its one
thing to have an April FOOLS
joke but another to build a
bridge to it,
c. Kenneth Carter, Worcester
County engineer, said buildings
that were properly constructed
on adequate pilings withstood
the storm. He pointed out that
the county this year adopted
regulations that require ocean
front buildings to be constructed