Editing Leisure World, Maryland (section)

==History==
===Development===
In 1963, developer Ross Cortese applied for a zoning amendment in order to build a 1,000-acre community of [[duplex (building)|semi-detached home]]s, [[townhouse]]s, and [[apartment building]]s south of [[Norbeck, Maryland]].<ref name= proposed>Willmann, John B. "Proposed Community Seen As Area Test of Yen For Adult Togetherness: Community Proposed For Adults 52 and Over". ''The Washington Post''. January 11, 1964. p. E1.</ref> Cortese's company had acquired the option to buy the 1,000 acres of land, formerly known as the Nash tract, for $5,000,000, and Cortese expected it would cost another $750,000 to build the development according to the plans.<ref name= proposed/> The development would be restricted to residents who are at least 52 years old.<ref name= proposed/> Cortese planned to build [[community center|clubhouse]]s, a [[swimming pool]], [[horse stable|riding stable]]s, an [[auditorium]], a [[strip mall|shopping center]], [[medical facility|medical facilities]], a [[hotel]] for guests, an 18-hole [[golf course]], and an 8-acre [[artificial lake|lake]] at the site.<ref name= proposed/> Sixty-five percent of the area would be undeveloped green space.<ref name= proposed/> The entire site would be surrounded by a wall, and full-time security guards would restrict access.<ref name= zoning/> According to the plans, [[housing cooperative|co-op home]]s would be available for between $15,000 and $18,000, payable with a $1,000 down payment and monthly payments thereafter of between $140 and $180.<ref name= proposed/> Cortese had already built [[Leisure World, Seal Beach, California|Rossmoor Leisure World]] at [[Seal Beach, California]], in 1961,<ref>Brooks, Dorethea M. "New Plan For Senior Citizens Includes Housing, Medical Care, Social Life". ''The Chicago Defender''. August 5, 1961. p. 4.</ref><ref>"Project for Aged Has Health: California Unit Is Offering Drugs and Medical Care". ''The New York Times''. August 13, 1961. p. R6.</ref> and he was then building [[Laguna Woods Village|Leisure World Laguna Hills]] in [[Laguna Hills, California]], and another Leisure World in [[Walnut Creek, California]].<ref name= proposed/>

The [[Montgomery County Council (Maryland)|Montgomery County Council]] approved the zoning amendment by a vote of 3 to 1, with 3 abstentions.<ref name= project>"Retirement Age Project Endorsed". ''The Washington Post''. June 27, 1964. p. C5.</ref><ref name= zoning>"Zoning Approved in Montgomery For Norbeck Retirement Housing". ''The Washington Post''. August 19, 1964. p. B4.</ref> The one dissenting council member was Kathryn E. Diggs, who said she was skeptical that the development would be economically successful.<ref name= zoning/> Local citizen groups opposed building the development because they preferred the area to remain zoned for low-density development.<ref name= project/> The Council had been planning to extend [[Connecticut Avenue]] through the area, but the Council put that action on hold because of the proposed development.<ref>Kopper, Philip D. "Montgomery Council Girds For Session". ''The Washington Post''. August 16, 1964. p. B6.</ref> Within a few months, [[Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission]] approved 28,000 feet of water and sewer lines for the development.<ref>"Retirement 'Village' Gets Under Way". ''The Washington Post''. December 4, 1964. p. B4.</ref> The architecture firm of Collins & Kronstadt designed the housing units and the community buildings.<ref name= exclusive>Willmann, John. "Seniors Are Exclusive". ''The Washington Post''. September 27, 1964. p. E2.</ref> Thurman D. Donavan designed the landscaping,<ref name= seniorcitizens>Von Eckardt, Wolf. "Senior Citizens' 'World' A Happy Change of Pace". ''The Washington Post''. April 24, 1966. p. G7.</ref> which received an award by the industrial landscaping committee of the American Association of Nurserymen in November 1966.<ref>Secrest, Meryle. "$60,000 In Rosy Future". ''The Washington Post''. November 16, 1966. p. C1.</ref> A large rotating globe was installed at the front gate.<ref name= seniorcitizens/>

Leisure World's sales office and model homes opened in August 1965;<ref>"Leisure World To Open Office". ''The Washington Post''. August 7, 1965. p. E10.</ref><ref>"Leisure World Open at Norbeck". ''The Washington Post''. August 21, 1965. p. E16.</ref> Loy Sigmon was the interior designer of the original seven model homes.<ref name= wagner>Wagner, Ruth. "There's a World of Leisure Here". ''The Washington Post''. September 28, 1965. p. C2.</ref> J. Robert Conybeare served as general sales manager,<ref>"Rossmoor Names Sales Manager". ''The Washington Post''. September 11, 1965. p. D13.</ref> and Angus T. Johnson was named the first administrator of the community.<ref>"Community For After-52". ''The Baltimore Sun''. September 12, 1965. p. G9.</ref>

The community was marketed to people who wanted to stay active while living there.<ref name= wagner/> While residence was restricted to people at least 52 years old (later reduced to 50 years old), proof of age was not originally required.<ref name= allplay>Lanahan, Scottie. "It's All Play and No Work". ''The Washington Post''. April 15, 1966. p. B12.</ref> Leisure World allowed people of all races to live in the community.<ref name= allplay/>

The community facilities were held in trust by the Foundation of Leisure World, a [[501(c)(3)]] [[nonprofit organization]],<ref>"[https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/pub78Search.do?ein1=52-1226000&names=&city=&state=All...&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchCharities&submitName=Search Foundation of Leisure World Inc.]" ''Exempt Organization Select Check''. [[Internal Revenue Service]]. Retrieved June 30, 2017.</ref><ref>"Rossmoor's To Open". ''The Baltimore Sun''. August 22, 1965. p. RE10.</ref> with former [[United States Under Secretary of the Navy|Under Secretary of the Navy]] [[Kenneth E. BeLieu]] as its first [[president (corporation)|president]].<ref>"Real Estate Notes". ''The New York Times''. April 6, 1966. p. 67.</ref> Homes were sold as [[housing cooperative|co-op]]s, with prices starting at $15,000 and ongoing monthly maintenance payments of at least $85.<ref>Doob, Oscar A. "Retirement Housing Proves Real Gamble". ''The Baltimore Sun''. September 26, 1965. p. RE10.</ref> Within six months, 400 home units had been pre-sold.<ref>"Plans Laid to Sell W&L Stock Block". ''The Washington Post''. March 11, 1966. p. D7.</ref>

===Shopping center===
Plans for Leisure World's 100,000-square-foot shopping center were announced in October 1965.<ref name= riggs>"Riggs Net Climbs 14%". ''The Washington Post''. October 8, 1965. p. E7.</ref> The plan was to sell 9,200 residential units within five years, enough space for approximately 15,640 people to live.<ref name= suit>Scharfenberg, Kirk. "Suit Filed to Bar Aid to Developer Of Undersold Retirement Housing". ''The Washington Post''. February 23, 1971. p. B1.</ref> Commercial leases were signed with [[Safeway Inc.|Safeway]], [[Peoples Drug Stores]], [[Hot Shoppes]] cafeteria-style restaurant, and [[Maryland National Bank]] for space at the adjoining shopping center.<ref name= riggs/> The Interfaith Meeting House broke ground on October 22, 1965, with plans for a capacity for 500 people.<ref>"Ecumenical Spirit at Work". ''The Washington Post''. October 23, 1965. p. A17.</ref>

===First residents===
The first residents moved in on August 15, 1965.<ref name= occupancy>"Occupancy Set Aug. 15 At Rossmoor". ''The Washington Post''. July 23, 1966. p. E16.</ref><ref name= first>"Rossmoor Leisure World To Honor First Residents". ''The Washington Post''. August 13, 1966. p. D6.</ref> The community held a welcoming ceremony at the eighteenth hole of the golf course for the first residents.<ref name= first/> The first residents lived in twelve units on Gleneagles Drive.<ref name= first/> The first nine holes of the golf course opened June 1, 1966.<ref>"Leisure World Names VP". ''The Baltimore Sun''. June 12, 1966. p. F15.</ref>

===Slowdown on sales===
In early 1967, Leisure World changed its marketing focus from that of a retirement community to that of a country club community for adults.<ref name= suspends>Willman, Jack. "Rossmoor Suspends Housing Unit Sales: Rossmoor Suspends Housing Unit Sales". ''The Washington Post''. September 12, 1967. p. A1.</ref> Sales of units at Leisure World were suspended in September 1967 after a tight mortgage market significantly increased prices and lower than expected interest.<ref name= suspends/> Sales resumed on January 1, 1968.<ref>"Rossmoor Plans to Reopen Sales". ''The Washington Post''. December 30, 1967. p. C3.</ref> Sales were still slow, the developer's [[carrying cost]]s on the remaining vacant land were large, and the U.S. state of Maryland had prohibited further development in the area until a new sewage treatment plant was built, all of which temporarily prevented additional construction.<ref name= suit/> The developer said it would need to develop the remaining vacant land eventually, as the additional residents were needed in order to support the common facilities by way of monthly maintenance fees.<ref name= suit/> In October 1974, Leisure World canceled the sales contracts for 480 semidetached homes and low-rise apartments because inflation had increased construction costs and it was no longer certain when the units would actually be built.<ref>Levy, Claudia. "Rossmoor Cancels Buyers' Contracts". ''The Washington Post''. October 10, 1974. p. C1.</ref> Five months later, Leisure World offered the units for sale again at increased prices.<ref name= reoffered>Levy, Claudia. "Reoffered Contracts Costlier". ''The Washington Post''. March 9, 1975. p. 138.</ref> In September 1976, the developer agreed to build the 300,000-gallon wastewater treatment plant.<ref>"Rossmoor Plant Gets Formal Agreement". ''The Washington Post''. September 4, 1976. p. E3.</ref> Almost one year later, the developer sued the state of Maryland, saying [[Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission]] failed to complete a 1965 contract to provide water and sewer connections to the area because the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had ordered a halt to sewer connections in 1973.<ref name= delays>Saperstein, Saundra. "Rossmoor Developers Sue County, Others Over Building Delays". ''The Washington Post''. September 7, 1978. p. MD3.</ref> The developer also said it was strong-armed into building a sewage treatment facility by the Montgomery County government in order to avoid significant financial losses.<ref name= delays/>

John E. Byrne, Jr., manager of Leisure World, agreed to buy Leisure World from Ross Coriese in August 1968,<ref name= newowner/> but the sale was not completed. In April 1969, Crane Company agreed to buy Leisure World from Coriese.<ref>Goodman, S. Oliver. "Crane Plans To Acquire Rossmoor". ''The Washington Post''. April 15, 1969. p. C7.</ref> That agreement was broken four months later by mutual consent.<ref>"Crane Co. Abandons Plan to Acquire Rossmoor". ''The Washington Post''. August 14, 1969. p. H14.</ref> In February 1970, Zero Manufacturing Company agreed to buy Rossmoor Corporation, the developer of Leisure World.<ref>"California Firm To Buy Rossmoor: Leisure World Communities". ''The Washington Post''. February 10, 1970. p. D6.</ref>

===Fires===
On March 1, 1968, there was a fire in a model two-story townhouse on Gleneagles Drive at Leisure World.<ref name= fire>"Wheaton Fire Causes $100,000 In Damage". ''The Baltimore Sun''. March 2, 1968. p. B8.</ref><ref name= block>"Town House Block Hit by Fierce Fire". ''The Washington Post''. March 2, 1968. p. B6.</ref> Approximately 100 firefighters reported to the fire.<ref name= fire/> The fire caused damage to four townhouses, estimated at $100,000.<ref name= fire/> There was one injury; Chief Sidney Bailey of Sandy Spring Fire Department was treated for burns to the eye.<ref name= fire/><ref name= block/> A fire killed a woman in her home on Chiswick Court in October 1969.<ref>"Rockville Woman, 61, Dies In House Fire". ''The Baltimore Sun'. October 27, 1969. p. C10.</ref> In May 1976, there was a fire in a three-story apartment building on Glen Eagle Drive.<ref name= blaze>Barringer, Felicity. "Blaze at Leisure World Leaves 40 Homeless". ''The Washington Post''. May 24, 1976. p. B1.</ref> One-hundred firefighters reported to the fire.<ref name= blaze/> The only injury was a firefighter with a broken thumb.<ref name= blaze/> The fire destroyed twelve homes, and those twelve families had to move in with friends and families.<ref name= blaze/> In November 2020, an early morning fire left one person dead and displaced 40 other residents.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-28|title=1 dead, over 40 residents displaced after fire at Leisure World of Maryland|url=https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/11/over-40-residents-displaced-after-fire-at-leisure-world-of-maryland/|access-date=2020-11-29|website=WTOP|language=en}}</ref>

===Changes in plans===
Leisure World asked Montgomery County for approval to reduce its resident age minimum from 50 to 40 years old, but Montgomery County disapproved the change.<ref>Rovner, Sandy. "Leisure World's Bid Is Rejected: Montgomery Refuses To Allow Format Change". ''The Baltimore Sun''. November 17, 1967. p. C13.</ref> On August 12, 1968, Leisure World asked Montgomery County Planning Board to remove the age limit altogether, but the Montgomery County Planning Board disapproved the change.<ref name= newowner>Hundt, Reed. "New Owner Seeks To Change Age Limit On Rossmoor Tracts". ''The Washington Post''. August 13, 1968. p. B1.</ref> On August 23, 1968, Leisure World made another request to drop the age limit for almost half the land, and Montgomery County Planning Board disapproved the request again.<ref name= plea>"Rossmoor Plea Again Is Denied". ''The Washington Post''. August 23, 1968. p. D15.</ref><ref name= acts>Feinberg, Lawrence. "Montgomery Acts to Delay Threat to Negro Community". ''The Washington Post''. September 11, 1968. p. B2.</ref> Montgomery County Planning Board had agreed to change the land's zoning from low density to higher density on the condition that all residents would be of age 50 or older and, in a vote of 4–1, Montgomery County Planning Board would not let Leisure World out of its agreement.<ref name= plea/> On December 31, 1968, the Montgomery County Council voted to allow the change to the age limit for about 40 percent of the land, despite the objections by the Montgomery County Planning Board.<ref name= eased>"Zoning Eased in Rossmoor: Montgomery Moves To Aid Community For Retired". ''The Baltimore Sun''. January 1, 1969. p. A9.</ref> A part of the negotiation, Leisure World agreed to develop the unrestricted portion of land as a separate development.<ref name= relaxed>Edwards, Paul G. "Rossmoor Zoning Plan Is Relaxed by Council". ''The Washington Post''. January 1, 1969. p. B2.</ref> In February 1971, three families living nearby filed a lawsuit to prevent construction of about 2,500 homes.<ref name= suit/> The plaintiffs contended that the population of the 2,500 homes without age restrictions would be much larger than originally intended because many of the units would be occupied by families.<ref name= suit/> The plaintiffs said that the additional residents would cause an increase in public service costs and a decrease in their property values.<ref name= suit/>