| There is no Planning Board meeting next week. The Planning Board is on recess for the month of August. |
July is Parks And Recs Month
Spend your summer days discovering the power of play and adventure! Celebrate National Parks and Recs Month with your family and friends throughout Montgomery County. Click the calendar for a list of FREE activities and make plans to attend a Popsicle Social at the end of the month.
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Montgomery Planning Department Announces FY18 Work Program
The Montgomery County Planning Department has secured the Montgomery County Council's approval to proceed with its ambitious work program for fiscal year 2018 (FY18), which began on July 1, 2017.
The County Council approved the Planning Department's $20 million budget for FY18 at its meeting on May 25, 2017. These funds support the work program for the Department's 148 employees. Staff will continue to work on the master plans and projects that are currently in progress.
Learn more here. |
Chevy Chase History Newly Reprinted for Book's Upcoming 20th Anniversary and Available for Purchase Online
The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce the reprinting of Chevy Chase: A Home Suburb for the Nation's Capital, the definitive reference book on this historic community at Montgomery County's southern border with Washington, DC.
Written by historians and former Planning Department staffers Elizabeth Jo Lampl and Kimberly Prothro Williams, the book was originally published in 1998 by the Montgomery County Planning Department and the Maryland Historical Trust Press. The book is now available for online purchase through Lulu.com.
Learn more here. |
Updated M-NCPPC Parks Rules & Regulations Are In Effect
Updated to the M-NCPPC Rules & Regulations will improve access to parks and amenities and provide greater flexibility in the rules. Learn more here.
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Upper Paint Branch Limited Area Trail Plan
Montgomery Parks Staff is starting a new Natural Surface Trail Plan in the Upper Paint Branch area. Your input will help us make this the best plan possible for the Paint Branch area. Click here for more information.
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Get Up-to-Date Athletic Field Information Use our convenient Rainout Line system to find out if a Montgomery Parks or MCPS athletic field is open, closed or experiencing inclement weather delays.
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| Spring & Summer Festivals and Events Looking for a different type of fun for the entire family? Maybe, a new experience in your backyard? Montgomery Parks has all the excitement just around the corner. Check out our Festivals and Events Page for all the happenings. Don't miss a chance to see what Montgomery Parks has for you! Underground Railroad Experience Trail Guided Hikes - Every Saturday, talented "conductors" lead groups on a simulated Underground Railroad experience. The experience covers 2.0 miles from Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park along a wooded, natural surface trail to the historic Sandy Spring, then back to experience the new Woodlawn Museum and Visitor Center. Registration and a fee is required. Wings of Fancy - Surround yourself with hundreds of brilliant live butterflies from North America, Costa Rica, Africa and Asia soaring among colorful flowers. Learn about the butterflies' amazing metamorphosis, the important role they play a healthy ecosystem. Wings of Fancy runs daily from 10am-4pm. Visit Brookside Gardens for additional opportunities to explore the beautiful butterflies through birthday parties, photography and art classes, school groups visits, and after-hours fun. Pop Up in Montgomery Parks- Montgomery Parks is aiming to attract more people to our parks - particularly our urban parks in the densely populated parts of Montgomery County. So, we are bringing fun and free "Pop Up" programming to select parks all winter, including Movie Night, Cozy Community Day, Rock Wall and our new Pump Track! Check out our upcoming programs taking place during the month of June, as part of the Pop Up in Montgomery Parks initiative. |
| Work on the Capital Crescent Trail Several projects are scheduled to begin on the Capital Crescent Trail. Trail users should use caution around work areas and watch for partial trail closures as park staff works to improve trail use: New traffic pattern at trail crossing and Little Falls Parkway. Traffic devices have been installed to improve safety at the intersection of Little Falls Parkway and the Capital Crescent Trail. Visit the following web page for more detailed information.Bike Share Station Installation - MCDOT will be installing a Bike Share Station at the trail intersection on Hillandale Road. Traffic and trail access may be interrupted as equipment is installed. |
Community Meetings and News
Make plans to attend upcoming community meetings. Park Staff will be presenting plans for upcoming project renovations and scheduled improvements to the parks. The community is encouraged to attend these meetings and provide input on the upcoming projects: Montgomery Park staff held a Public Hearing and testimony on the Energized Public Spaces Functional Master Plan. The plan identifies areas where parks are needed most, highlighting Mixed Use and Higher Density Residential Areas, and allow park planners to quickly adapt to changing park needs. For more information. Parks staff presented the final Recommended Concept Plan for Long Branch-Wayne Local Park to the Planning Board. Visit the Long Branch-Wayne Local Park Renovation Project page for more information. The final Recommended Concept Plan for the Dewey Local Park Renovation Project was presented to the Planning Board. Click here for more to review the project plan and timeline. A Second Community Meeting to review the preliminary concept plan for the Edith Throckmorton Neighborhood Park and playground was held. Click here for more information on the project and timeline. |
| Accessibility Improvements Continue Accessibility Improvement work is scheduled to begin at Stratton Local Park, Fleming Local Park, Clear Spring Local Park, Cabin John Local Park and Takoma Piney Branch Local Park. For more information on these and other accessibility projects, please visit: Accessibility Information for Montgomery Parks web page. |
| Park Projects Forest Glen Neighborhood Park repair work will begin this summer to improve the current park features. This work includes installation of a new water fountain, better access to parking and storm water management upgrades. Work will continue through the summer with minimal interruptions expected to park users The Layhill Phoenix, a sculpture of a wooden totem pole located in Wheaton Regional Park, will be removed for restoration and preservation. The totem pole will be removed in the Spring of 2017. A new location in the park to re-install the sculpture is under study along with other park improvement projects. Stratton Local Park is closing this summer. The one-year project will improve overall access to park and parking lot enhancements. A pedestrian walkway from Democracy Boulevard and a sidewalk entering the park from Harrogate Road is planned. The ball field, shelter, and courts will be closed and inaccessible to the public. Good Hope Local Park is closed as part of the Department of Recreation's Good Hope Recreation Center construction project. Ball fields, tennis courts and other park areas will be inaccessible to the public. Work is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2018. Wheaton-Claridge Local Park is closed as the entire park undergoes renovations. The Park Activity Building will also get a makeover to improve access. The project is scheduled to be complete by Spring 2018. Park users are encouraged to visit other parks in the area as park amenities will not be accessible to the public. Click here for more information on the project. Western Grove Urban Park is closed for renovations. Formerly the Chevy Chase Open Space Urban Park, the 1.9 acre project, in partnership with the Chevy Chase Village, will enhance park amenities including improved accessible walkways, lighting, a paved seating area, natural play area, green space, fencing, and a water feature when completed. Click herefor additional information on the project. Playgrounds at John Haines Neighborhood Park, West Fairland Local Park and Wheaton-Claridge Local Park are closed as part of the Playground Renovation Program. Work is scheduled is to be complete by Spring 2017. |
| Emerald Ash Borer in Montgomery Parks A non-native invasive beetle in Montgomery County is wreaking havoc on ash trees, many which are in stream valleys on parkland. Learn more on how the department's is addressing the issue here. |
Trail Work in Parks
Bikers and Runners should use caution around work areas as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks: A section of the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail is closed and inaccessible to the public this summer. The second phase of the renovation project between Franklin Street and the trail connector at Saul Road will require a half-mile detour using Franklin Street to Parkwood Drive. The detour will reconnect to the trail at the Saul Road trail connector. Click here for more information.The bridge at Seneca Stream Valley Trail in the Quince Orchard Valley Neighborhood Park area is under construction as new abutments and a prefabricated bridge is installed. A temporary bridge will be built for trail usage. Please use caution around work area. Trail improvements on the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail near Parklawn Local Park continue. The project includes a new connector to the trail, bridge installation, stream sediment control and storm water management when complete. For more information on Montgomery Parks Trails, please visit www.MontgomeryTrails.org. |
The 2017 Summer Program GUIDE Is Here and Online! Summer is in full swing, but it's not too late to enroll in amazing Summer Camps and Programs. Check out MontgomeryParks.org to see the scheduled summer camps, programs, activities, and offerings throughout Montgomery Parks.
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| Montgomery Parks Volunteer Opportunities Weed Warrior Workdays, many parks in MoCo - Click Here!Nature Center Opportunities, including upcoming Special Events - Click Here!Butterfly Show Volunteers, training in August, Wheaton - Click Here! Gardening at Nature Centers, Brookside Gardens, etc. - Click Here! Summer Inclusion Assistants, Click Here! Living History Interpreters, Click Here! |
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