Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], January 10, 1963, ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CITY 1961-62, Page Page 6, Image 20

About Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974

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ROCKVILLE
ALL-AMERICA CITY
Mil
Page 6
1961-62 was a year of signifi
cant growth and progress for
Rockville. It was also a year in
which national recognition was
focused on Rockville's city gov
ernment.
During this period, the city's
population grew by more than
3,000, to a new total of 32,750.
Its area expanded through annex
ation by some 465 acres, so that
it is now approximately 9 square
miles in size. Its tax base in
creased from $Bl million to $92
million. More than $8 million in
new construction was authorized
by the City's Department of Li
censes and Inspection.
Other statistics offer dramatic
evidence of this growth. At the
end of the year there were:
5.1 miles of new paved streets.
8.2 miles of new sidewalks.
6.3 miles of new sanitary sew
ers.
4.5 miles of new storm drain
age.
4.4 miles of new water lines.
55 acres of new parkland.
Several major subdivisions
emerged on the Rockville scene .
during this period, including
Woodley Gardens, Montrose and
Stoneridge Farms. Two major
apartment developments, Rollins
Park and Courthouse Sq uare,
took form.
The city government's own
building program also pushed for
ward:
• The beautiful new City Hall
on South Perry Street was occu
pied in January 1962, replacing
the 74-year-old frame dwelling
which had served as city head
quarters since 1954.
Tip 1 ' flj j&
• A major renovation of the
Rockcrest Recreation Center was
completed, with the addition of a
new wing.
• Work was begun on a new
Public Works Building at the rear
of the Civic Center grounds,
which will replace the over -
crowded and dilapidated "Pump
House" on South Horners Lane
later this month.
The water system also grew,
with a major addition to the water
intake structure on the Potomac
River, and the beginning of work
on a 3-million gallon water stor
age tank on Carr Avenue, de
signed to provide greater storage
capacity, more effective fire pro
tection, and a better balanced
system.
The City's numerous service
programs were also expanded
substantially to meet the needs of
Rockville's growing population.
• The Department of Public
Works—responsible for oversee
ing new construction as well as
for maintaining streets, the water
and sewer systems and all recrea
tion areas—set new records for
total activity.
• The Department of Recrea
tion expanded its schedule of
classes from 113 to 172, in
creased its summer playground
attendance from 3,100 to 4,000,
assisted in the expansion of the
Boys' Baseball Association to 44
teams (involving 758 boys and
132 volunteer adult coaches),
and increased the scope of its
program to include many new ac
tivities.
THE KEYNOTE:
ROCKVILLE REPORTS . . . JAN. 10, 1963
• In addition, it sponsored
such special events as the An
tique and Classic Car Show, the
City-Wide Picnic, the Recreation
Open House, the Rockville Open
Golf and Tennis Tournaments,
Band Concerts, the Drama-Music
Festival, the Foreign Exchange
Students' party at the Teen Cen
ter, and the Christmas-in-Pinne
burg Pageant.
• Revenue from recreation
classes jumped from SIO,BOO to
$20,700.
In the area of public safety,
there was a dramatic increase in
activity:
• The City Police Department
stepped up its traffic safety pro
gram, largely as a result of the
increased activity of its radar
unit. A record 75 arrests for
speeding were made for the year
ending June 30. 1962; for the 5-
month period ending December I,
1962, 112 more speeders were
apprehended. In part, this cam
paign can be credited for the
City's receipt—for the 7th time in
the past 8 years—of the AAA's
Pedestrian Safety Award.
• The department continued
its program of in-service training,
with three of its four officers cur
rently attending the University of
Maryland's Law Enforcement In
stitute.