| Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, March 9, 2017. View the full agenda for that meeting here. |
Planning Board and Department Announce March 2017 Events
The Montgomery County Planning Board and Planning Department are pleased to announce their March 2017 calendar of events. These meetings offer opportunities for the public to engage with the Planning Board and Planning Department staff. Review the full list of events and ongoing plans and projects below and go online to www.montgomeryplanning.org for more details. View the full list. |
Public Meeting - 2017 PROS Plan Update
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 will be held on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at the M-NCPPC Montgomery Regional Office in Silver Spring. The second meeting will be held at the Sidney Kramer Up County 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 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. |
Planning Department Launched Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan at Community Meeting on February 22
The Montgomery County Planning Department launched the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan at a public meeting held on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at Sargent Shriver Elementary School (12518 Greenly Street, Silver Spring, MD).
About 40 residents and stakeholders listened to a presentation about the purpose and goals of the plan, and major areas to be analyzed. Planners discussed the need to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety, and provide better connections from the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) stations on Veirs Mill Road to neighborhoods, shopping centers and major public facilities along the corridor. Audience questions focused on the future BRT system along Veirs Mill Road and how it will affect parking and demand for development in the area.
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. |
Montgomery Parks' Summer Camp Expo
March 11 from 11am - 1pm
Find the perfect camp for your kids at Montgomery Parks Summer Camp Expo! The expo will be held at the Cabin John Ice Rink from 11-1pm. More than 100 camps are offered each summer for children of all ages; geared towards a wide variety of interest from ice skating, hockey, tennis, nature, gardens, adventure, theater, archaeology, golf and more! Affordable, fun, and convenient. Our camps feature low camper to counselor ratios and many camps offer before/after care. Even more, camps run throughout the entire summer! |
| 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! |
Brookside Gardens' WEDDING VENDOR SHOWCASE
March 5, 2017 from 11am - 2pm Planning your dream wedding or a family celebration? Get inspired for your next big event at Brookside Gardens' Wedding Vendor Showcase. The event will take place at Brookside Gardens and will feature samples & demos from caterers, photographers, makeup artists, florists, and other vendors. While there, be sure to take a garden tour and take advantage of vendor discounts. There will be a raffle and door prizes. Admission is free, but pre-registration is preferred: Register here. |
| Find out about delays, closures and cancellations and other weather alerts When inclement weather hits, some Montgomery Parks facilities may be closed or on a delayed opening, events and program cancellations may occur, athletic field closures may happen, and there may be other weather alerts that you need to be aware of. If you'd like to receive free alerts (in event of a major crisis, emergency, or severe weather event) for Montgomery County, sign up for Alert Montgomery. |
Work on the Capital Crescent Trail
Several projects are scheduled to begin on the Capital Crescent Trail this winter. Trail users should be cautious around work areas and watch for partial trail closures as park staff begin work to improve trail use: 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 will be held to discuss plans for Acorn Urban Park in Silver Spring. The meeting will be on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. It will be 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. Park staff hosted a community meeting on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 on the Preferred Concept Plan for Long Branch-Wayne Local Park. |
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 located in stream valleys on parkland. Learn more on the department's plan to address the issue here. |
| Accessibility Improvements Continue Accessibility Improvement work is scheduled at Fleming Local Park and Clear Spring Local Park this winter. Work is scheduled to begin at Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreational Park and Stratton Local Park in the near future. For more information on these and other accessibility projects please visit Accessibility Information for Montgomery Parks web page. |
Park Projects
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.NOTICE: 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. Quince Orchard Valley Neighborhood Park: WSSC work, as part of the WSSC Sewer Repair, Replacement and Rehabilitation Program is near completion. Additional work will include the removal of the tennis court and hard surface path to allow reforestation. Click here for more information. 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. Good Hope Local Park: is closed as part of the Department of Recreations Good Hope Recreation Center construction project. Ballfield, tennis courts and other park areas will be inaccessible to the public. Work is scheduled to be completed by the Spring 2018. |
Trail Work in Parks
Bikers and Runners should use caution around work areas as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks: WSSC work, as part of the WSSC Sewer Repair, Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, will begin on the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail in the Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park Unit #3. The project will require a portion of the trail to be temporarily closed. 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.
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The 2017 Summer Camp Guide is Here!
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.
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| 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 Events and Summer Camp Volunteer - Click Here!Greenhouse Gardener, Black Hill Regional Park - Click Here! Butterfly Show Volunteers, training in April, Wheaton - Click Here! |
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