Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-08-02
HolU Can We Preserve Open Spaces:

VieloS Of three recognized area land planners in
opposition to the proposed TuTdIope space zone being
considered by the County Council are summarized:
Creation Of fiveacre minimum coming
the desirable of preserving spaces against
the nroads Of unrestricted development at least two recog
nized land planners dssdent member of the Mont
gomery County Planning Board feel
Their criticism of the proposed ruralopen space
which drew widespread opposition at County Council hear.
ing last night from claims that it is downright
constitutional agreement will not hold up under
the test Of time and pressure of urban growth"
TREASURES ARE CITED
Results of this of coming don't always meet the
objective says Wey executive director of the Urban Land
Institute
Its often just question of time how long jurisdiction
maintain this kind of development against the
of population growth in urban areas" he adds.
Another expert s. E. Sanders, professional planner
author of New City Patterns which first proposed,
in 1916 the concept of land development along rada
ridors shares this view:
"The of large lot coming to preserve open space
has been tried To my knowledge has wthsood the
test of time and pressure of urban growth"
Official spokesman for local opponents of the open
is the lone dissenter in the MarylandNatonal
Capital Park and Planning Commissions 81 approval
of its creation, Donald E. Gngery
He similarly predicts the OS twill not hold up"
and argues further that the courts will refuse to uphold "a
device like this which forces property in the
space wedges let their land lie fallow while neighbor
lucky enough to have his land fall within the corridor
rich"
The coming category is sought by planners to
development principally upcounty outside radial
corridors proposed in the Year 1000 Plan.
ALTERNATIVES ARE CITED
To protect open spaces, Gingery and the two other
planning experts uniformly prefer purchase of development
rights to land outright purchase of property open
space easements
Sanders said there the danger using fase method
of obtaining open that the whole planning will
be broken down.
Wehry disclosed planners often mistakenly establish
argeacreage minmums for what termed snob coming"
visualizing handsome return in from both the land
and expensive homes built under "ony to find there
is limited market for this kind of residence"
At the time, Gingery pointed out, the proposed
type of coming also legsates against the family which would
like buy home in rural can't afford five
of land to go with it.
The planning commissioner who has been major land
developer the county disclosed that attempts establish
such phoney coming have been successfully fought in court
by landowners the nation.
This type of zoning has been thrown out of court in
after case he said predicting that the will hap
pen II the County Council gives it the nod here.
Wehrly confirmed that there have been cases"
the country which the courts found the
ing arbitrary and caprcious but added much depends
individual circumstances Of the court suits
He said he could not condone attempts anywhere to
push coming into police power beyond the original
cept of land planning"
DEPRESSED VALUES FEARED
Depressed land values forecast by Gngery
aside for veacre zonng These, in turn he said will
lower the coys assessable base endangerng its credit
for bond issues.
Lower assessable tax base you not only
existing bond contracts but undermine the worth of the
county that bonding company in the country will want to
buy bonds" he warned.
Rather than establish the OS coming Gingery said the
county should expand the Park and Planning Commits
sons program of acquiring space lands which has
suited in the acquisition Of than 1900 property
the past two years.
The commission is spending $4,000 annually
this program he added without bond interest
payments, furor-and syerybodyS happy"