Evening star., 1963-04-20
Apartments Are Hit
In Tanta||on Project
Tall BUILDINGS
Are AssuiIed in
6-Hour Session
BY PETER MASLEY
Star Staff Writer

N~~ N~@~ SSSAAAetS
once again lies squarely in the
laps of the Prince Georges
County Commissioners. who sat
through six hours of argument
about 1t yesterday.
In a hot and crowded room,
they heard a multitude of wit
InesseS testify for and against
the rezoning application of the
Isle of Thye Land Co., developer
and owner of the proposed $5l
million Tantallon-on-the-Po-
tomac luxury project on Swan
Creek in the southern part of
the county.
Similar projects are causing
civic battles in Fairfax County,
where the Merrywood project
is before the courts, and in
Montgomery County, where the
council earlier this week con-
Quoted spirited hearing on O
9-acre tract between the Army
Map Service and Brookmont.
Tantallon wants coming for
two or more Is to 20 story
apartment buildings on 90 acres
some 3,400 feet from the rivers
edge and for a marina on the
creek.
1t was one of the few recent
hearings in which the opposi-
ton was represented by an at
torney. In this case he was
Samuel w. H. Meloy, who is
also a United States Commits
sioner in Upper Marlboro. He
charged that there was no need
for the apartments and that
they would be detrimental to
the shoreline beauty in the
county.
His stand was supported by
the county planning board
which, in January, recommend
ed against the rezoning on the
grounds of spot zoning and also
that 1t might open up the area
for more tall apartment build
ings along the rivers edge.
Reichelt Is Counsel
On the other side was attor-
ney Herbert w. Reichelt, a for
mer County Commissioner de-
feated for reelection last year,
who represented the Isle of
Thye Co.
His first witness was Ralph
TriSka, president of the firm.
who said his project had to be
"a plan that would overcome
many problems of terrain.
drainage and location to de-
velop unusual features that
would attract the high income
people"
The 655-acre project, which
includes 300 homes, is based on
a density of three units per
acre, he said. High-rise apart
ments, he added, are designed
to fit within the landscape and
not dominate it."
Mr.. Triska also said, under
cross-examination, that Tan
talon has set aside 10 acres
for a school at a $16,5OO per
acre cost to the school board,
including water, sewers and i'm
proved roads. The firm has al
ready spent SIS million in
land improvement at Tantallon,
he said.
Answering a question about
the apartments, he said You're
not going to build Is to 20 story
apartments and not have them
seen. This is ridiculous"
Tells of Vision
Another witness, Theodore
Robinson, a professional plan
ner from California who de-
signed Tantallon, said that I'VE
have endeavored to create an
island in the sky surrounded
by a sea of grass and a sea of
water"
The project was highly
praised by Ben Dyer, a regis
tered land surveyor, who said
he was not sure that Interior
Secretary Udall knew what he
was talking about when he
wrote that Mount Vernon was
across from Tantallon and
urged the County Commission
ers to deny the rezoning.
The first opposition witness
was Herbert A. Myer, an ar
chitect for the Navy Depart
ment, who presented a profile
OF the land height showing
that 2O-story buildings at Tan
TALON would be visible from
Mount Vernon. apparently sup
porting Secretary Udall's con-
tention.
Opposition was led by
Charles Macdonald, president
of the Swan Creek Citizens AS
sociation, who spoke at length
against the apartments. He
contended they were improper
land use for rural residential
property and he presented a
number Of letters from inter-
ested parties opposing them.
The Commissioners voted 10
take the proposal under ad-
visement and their decision will
be announced at a later date.
II is expected that either way.
the decision will be appealed
to the courts.