Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, March 23, 2017. View the full agenda for that meeting here. |
Public Meetings - 2017 PROS Plan Update March 15, 2017 has been rescheduled to March 29, 2017 from 7pm - 9pm March 22, 2017 form 7pm - 9pm As part of the "Parks and Recreation of the Future: Voice Your Vision" outreach initiative, Montgomery Parks staff will host two public meetings to review the 2017 Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan (PROS Plan). The first meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at the M-NCPPC Montgomery Regional Office, 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring has been rescheduled to Wednesday, March 29, 2017. The second meeting will be held at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center on Wednesday, March 22, 2017. Take the "Parks and Recreation of the Future: Voice Your Vision" survey and help us make our parks better! |
Planning Board Okays Release of Draft Administrative Regulations Governing Development Applications The Montgomery County Planning Department announces the release of the Planning Board draft of proposed administrative regulations for the recently enacted update of the County Code's Chapter 50, Subdivision of Land. The Planning Board approved releasing the draft at its meeting on Thursday, March 2, 2017. Learn more here. |
Community Invited to Brainstorm Opportunities and Challenges for the Veirs Mill Road Corridor at Public Meeting on March 29 The Montgomery County Planning Department is inviting anyone who lives, works or has an interest in the Veirs Mill Road Corridor area to attend the second public meeting of the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at the Newport Mill Middle School (11311 Newport Mill Rd, Kensington, MD 20895). RSVPs are encouraged but not required. RSVP for the March 29 community meeting. Learn more here. |
Planning Department Will Hold Last Session of 2017 Winter Speaker Series on March 21 to Present New Strategies for Affordable Housing The Montgomery County Planning Department will hold the last session of its three-part Winter Speaker Series, which celebrates 90 years of planning achievements since the M-NCPPC was founded in 1927. Titled "From Innovative Zoning to Housing for All," the event will be held at the Planning Department headquarters auditorium (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21. Speakers will discuss innovative policies and strategies that build on Montgomery County's pioneering affordable housing program to provide rental and ownership options for more households in the future. Montgomery County's moderately priced dwelling unit (MPDU) program is believed to be the nation's first inclusionary zoning law that gave a density bonus allowance to builders for providing affordable housing. The session will be moderated by Clarence Snuggs, Director of Montgomery County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Learn more here. |
Free Trees Available for Qualifying Property Owners The Montgomery County Planning Department is offering free trees to qualifying property owners in certain urban areas of Montgomery County. The Shades of Green program was launched in 2012 as a pilot program and has expanded to additional areas of the county that have a high level of impervious surfaces. The goal of this initiative is to enhance the tree canopy cover, reduce heat island effect and beautify the community. The program is financed through the Forest Conservation Fund, which primarily consists of fees paid by developers when tree planting on their own development sites is impractical. Learn more here. |
Exhibit on Midcentury Modern Architecture in Montgomery County Opens at Planning Department on March 1 The Montgomery County Planning Department has opened Montgomery Modern, an exhibit on mid-20th-century buildings and neighborhoods, at its headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). The photography and texts are based on the 2015 book, Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1930-1979, written by Clare Lise Kelly, a preservation planner and an architectural historian with the Planning Department's Historic Preservation Office. Learn more here. |
Parks and Recreation of the Future: Voice Your Vision "Parks and Recreation of the Future: Voice Your Vision" is a consolidated outreach initiative to solicit input from people about what they want in their parks. The responses will be used to inform three separate but related projects all seeking public input: 2017 PROS Update, the Energized Public Spaces Functional Master Plan (EPS FMP) and Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Make time to take a survey and help us make our parks better! |
Work on the Capital Crescent Trail Several projects are scheduled to begin on the Capital Crescent Trail. Trail users should be cautious around work areas and watch for partial trail closures as park staff begin work to improve trail use: Montgomery Parks staff will begin a reforestation project in several areas between Massachusetts Avenue and River Road to improve water quality and habitat in the Little Falls Branch Stream Valley. The project will require the removal of several unsanctioned natural surface trails but will also improve access to the Milton/Loughborough Mill with a natural surface trail connector to the historic site. Look for new traffic pattern at trail crossing and Little Falls Parkway. Traffic devices recently 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. PEPCO crews will work on a 3-month electric infrastructure replacement project on the Capital Crescent Trail this winter. Mobile work zone from River Road to MacArthur Boulevard that will keep the trail open during construction with signage and flagmen posted during working hours. |
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: A community meeting to discuss plans for Acorn Urban Park in Silver Spring has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at the Silver Spring Civic Center starting at 7pm. Parks staff will give an overview of the renovation project which contains significant historic resources and timeline. The Planning Board recently approved recommended revisions to the Montgomery Parks Outdoor Tennis Court Policy. Visit the Outdoor Tennis Court Use Policy web page for additional information. |
Carroll Ave Bridge Over Sligo Creek Parkway Remains Closed Major rehabilitation of the MD 195 (Carroll Avenue) Bridge over Sligo Creek and Sligo Creek Parkway is still in process. The bridge will be closed and traffic detoured during the duration of the one-year project. Work may intermittently close Sligo Creek Parkway. Use caution around work areas and continue to share roadways. For more updates... |
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. |
Accessibility Improvements Continue Accessibility Improvement work is scheduled to begin at Stratton Local Park, Fleming Local Park, Clear Spring Local Park and Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreational Park this winter. For more information on these and other accessibility projects, please visit: Accessibility Information for Montgomery Parks web page. |
Park Projects 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 here for additional information on the project. Kemp Mill Urban Park: The park remains closed for renovations to improve overall access, update the pond and expand the playground. Renovations are expected to be completed by Spring 2017. Click here for a list of alternative parks in the area. Playgrounds at John Haines Neighborhood Park, Camp Seneca Special Park, West Fairland Local Park and Wheaton-Claridge Local Park are closed as part of the Playground Renovation Program. All work is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2017. |
Trail Work in Parks Bikers and Runners should use caution around work areas as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks: Sligo Creek Stream Valley Trail: Work is scheduled to begin culvert repair and stream stabilization on the Sligo Creek Parkway Trail, just south of University Boulevard. Part of the project will require the removal of chain link fence on park property. The trail will remain open with minimal interruption during work, but construction vehicles will be designated to access through Wheaton Lane. The bridge at Seneca Stream Valley Trail in the Quince Orchard Valley Neighborhood Park area will be under construction as new abutments and a prefabricated bridge will be installed. A temporary bridge will be built for trail usage. Please use caution around work area. Trail improvements will continue through the winter for the Rock Creek Biker-Biker Trail at Parklawn Local Park. The project will include a new connector to the trail, stream sediment control and storm water management. Wheaton Regional Park - Trail work continues around Pine Lake trails to improve access and storm water management. Work will require the southern gate to Brookside Gardens to be closed until further notice as a new gate is installed. Watch for detours posted around designated areas as work is scheduled to continue through the winter. For more information on Montgomery Parks Trails, please visit www.MontgomeryTrails.org. |
The 2017 Spring Program GUIDE Is Here and Online! Click here to see all the various programs, classes and events Montgomery Parks has to offer you and your family. Browse the eGuide from your computer or cell via at Montgomery Parks eGuides. |
The 2017 Summer Camp Guide! Want a warmer thought? Start thinking about summer now! Get ready for our amazing Summer Camps and Programs guide now available. Check out MontgomeryParks.org to see the scheduled summer camps, programs, activities, and offerings throughout Montgomery Parks. |
Montgomery Parks Volunteer Opportunities Program Access Volunteer - Inclusion Support - Click Here!Weed Warrior Workdays, many parks in MoCo - Click Here!Nature Center Opportunities, including upcoming Special Events and Summer Camp Volunteer - Click Here!Greenhouse Gardener, Black Hill Regional Park - Click Here! Butterfly Show Volunteers, training in April, Wheaton - Click Here! Harper Cabin Open House Volunteers, Wheaton - Click Here! Eye Spy Train Volunteers, Wheaton & Cabin John - Click Here for Wheaton and Here for Cabin John! Earth Day Festival, Brookside Gardens, Wheaton - Click Here! Sowing the Seeds of Victory, Ag. History Farm Park, Derwood - Click Here! |
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