Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, June 29. View the full agenda for that meeting here. |
El Tiempo Latino Selects Montgomery County Planning Board Member Natali Fani-González and Prince George's Parks and Recreational Department Staffers Nydia Ocasio and Lourdes Sulc as Most Influential People for Hispanic Community
 The Montgomery County Planning Board is pleased to announce that Montgomery County Planning Board member Natali Fani-González, as well as M-NCPPC staffers Nydia Ocasio and Lourdes Sulc of the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation, have been named by the DC metro area's largest Spanish language newspaper, El Tiempo Latino, as three of the 100 most influential individuals for the DC Hispanic community. "It is an honor to be selected for the Powermeter 100 list alongside a group of outstanding leaders working to empower the region's Latino community," said Fani-González. "Through my work on the Planning Board, I am dedicated to reaching diverse groups and encouraging them to be invested in planning the future of their communities. I'm especially proud to be joined by two talented women from our Commission, as it is a clear statement of what our agency is all about: we are all dedicated to creating strong, livable communities." |
Planning Board and Department Announce July 2017 Events
|
Community Invited to Comment on Bikeway ReactMap and Attend Meetings to Discuss Preliminary Recommendations for Bicycle Master Plan
The  Montgomery County Planning Department invites the community to comment on preliminary bikeway recommendations for Montgomery County's Bicycle Master Plan by accessing the Bikeway ReactMap and attending public meetings being held in June across the county. The Bikeway ReactMap, posted on the Planning Department's web site, encourages the public to comment on the Bicycle Master Plan's preliminary bikeway recommendations. Users can view the map legend, review a brief description of bikeway facility types and add comments about the bikeway recommendations. |
 Updated M-NCPPC Parks Rules & Regulations Go into Effect July 1, 2017 Updated to the M-NCPPC Rules & Regulations will improve access to parks and amenities and provide greater flexibility in the rules. Learn more here.
|
 Kemp Mill Urban Park Opening July 12, 2017, 6 p.m.
Join Montgomery Parks for the grand reopening of Kemp Mill Urban Park, featuring a new and expanded play area, 3 ponds and beautiful landscaping. Find out about the event here. |
Long Branch-Wayne Local Park Renovation Concept Plan is nearly complete
|
Feedback Map for Grosvenor-Strathmore Master Plan Provides Opportunity for Public to Comment on Preliminary Recommendations
The  Montgomery County Planning Department has posted the interactive feedback map for the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Area Minor Master Plan on its website. Staff created the map to share the preliminary recommendations for the plan with the public and collect comments from community members about these ideas. The map complements Planning Department outreach efforts, allowing participants to voice their opinions about the recommendations, which are categorized according to three topics: land use and urban design, open space and placemaking, and connectivity. |
 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. |
Montgomery County Planning Department Launches 2017 Design Excellence Awards Competition for Public Spaces, and Buildings and Sites, with Call for Entries through July 27
 The Montgomery County Planning Department seeks to recognize exceptional work in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design through its third annual Design Excellence Award competition. This year there will be two Design Excellence Awards, one for buildings and their sites, and one specifically for open spaces and landscapes. Developers, property owners and their design teams are invited to submit completed projects that contribute to improving the quality of physical environments throughout the County. The call for entries opened on Monday, May 15, 2017 and closes on Thursday, July 27, 2017. The selection of two winners will be made by an outside jury of accomplished professionals invited by the Planning Department. |
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 Spring & Summer Festivals & 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. Hikers learn about various techniques that "freedom seekers" used to elude trackers, find food, and navigate their way north to freedom. Interpretive content best suited for children 7 and up. 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 and going about their business of drinking nectar and looking for others of their kind. Learn about the butterflies' amazing metamorphosis, the important role they play a healthy ecosystem, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in your own garden. 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.
- Summer Twilight Concert Series- Join us on the lawn at Brookside Gardens each Tuesday evening in June for a series of musical performances set in the beauty of the Gardens! Bring your friends and family, and don't forget your chairs or blankets (allowed in the Gardens on concert evenings ONLY). Food trucks will also be available. For more info, click here.
- 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: |
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 present plans to improve the Shorefield area of Wheaton Regional Park to the community was recently held at the Brookside Gardens Auditorium. The public heard plans to improve access in the park. Staff outlined several much-needed maintenance and park improvement projects for the Shorefield area and timeline for work.
-
Montgomery Parks Staff recently presented a Working Draft of the Energized Public Spaces Functional Master Plan to the Montgomery Planning Board. A Public Hearing will now be held on July 27 to present the final draft. The public is encouraged to review the draft and offer comment available online. - Montgomery Parks Staff presented plans to review the trails and connectivity in the Upper Paint Branch Stream Valley area. The meeting, in conjunction with the Bicycle Master Plan, featured staff asking the community to help improve the trail connections. Staff will look to develop better connections to community facilities in the area, such as schools and recreation centers. Click here for more information.
- A Second Community Meeting to review the preliminary concept plan for the Edith Throckmorton Neighborhood Park and playground will be on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at the Ken-Gar First Baptist Church. We are encouraging the community to attend and provide thoughts to the preliminary concept plan which was developed by ideas and comments from the first community meeting.
|
Accessibility Improvements Continue |
Park Projects -
 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 scheduled to close the Spring 2017. 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.
-
-
|
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. |
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 will be closed and inaccessible to the public this spring. The second phase of the renovation project between Franklin Street and the trail connector at Saul Road will begin in late April 2017. A half-mile detour using Franklin Street to Parkwood Drive will be in place when work begins. 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 will be 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.
|
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. |
  The 2017 Summer Program GUIDE Is Here and Online! |
|
