Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Monday, September 18, 2017. View the full agenda for that meeting here. |
Planning Department and Board Announce Calendar of September 2017 Events
 The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its September 2017 calendar of events. These events offer opportunities for the Planning Department staff to discuss policies and engage with the public.
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Planning Department Will Hold Community Meetings About Updates to Master Plan of Highways and Transitways Starting on September 11
 The Montgomery County Planning Department is holding five public meetings in September and October to solicit feedback from the public on proposed changes to the Master Plan of Highways and Transitways (MPOHT).All meetings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. RSVPs are encouraged but not required. - September 11: Montgomery Planning Department (M-NCPPC) auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. RSVP
- September 13: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Room West A, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda. RSVP
- September 18: Rockville Memorial Library, 1st floor, 21 Maryland Avenue, RSVP
- September 20: Upcounty Regional Services Center, Room D, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown. RSVP
- October 10: Marilyn J. Praisner Library, Small Room, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. RSVP
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Community Invited to Attend Next Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan Meeting on October 4 at Newport Mill Middle School
 RSVP for the Veirs Mill Community Meeting on October 4. Residents and interested community members are invited to provide feedback on initial ideas to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity, increase access to transit and community facilities, and upgrade the streetscapes along Veirs Mill Road. |
Director's Legacy Award Part of Design Excellence Program to Honor 90th Anniversary of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
 The Montgomery County Planning Department has launched the Director's Legacy Award to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the M-NCPPC by recognizing an exceptional, enduring and transformative building in the county that is more than 10 years old and has had a positive influence on the public and community. Planning Director Gwen Wright will select the winner.
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Bike Share in Montgomery Parks
 Montgomery Parks has teamed up with Zagster, Inc. to bring a bike share program to the Parks. The program has launched in Black Hill Regional Park and Wheaton Regional Park. To participate in the Montgomery Parks bike share program, each rider must download the Zagster app and enroll for free. Riders without a smart phone can text SMS to (202) 999-3924 to learn how to ride by text message. In Montgomery Parks, Zagster bike share rides under two hours are free. After two hours, riders will pay $3 per hour to continue using the bikes. Click here for more information. |
 Burtonsville Day
The 27th Annual Burtonsville Day Celebration will be on Saturday, September 16, 2017. Join Montgomery Parks Pop Up Parks Program for a day of fun. The parade will kick off the celebration at 10am. Bring a lawn chair and a blanket to Columbia Local Park and join us as we celebrate Burtonsville. |
 Friendship Picnic |
Montgomery County Planning Department and Potomac Valley AIA Will Hold Design Excellence Award Program on October 19
The Montgomery County Planning Department is inviting everyone with an interest in excellent architecture, landscape architecture and urban design to attend Celebrate Design on Thursday, October 19, 2017 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD). Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased online. |
Planning Department Co-Sponsors Bus Tour of Mid-20th-Century Modern Buildings in Montgomery County Designed by Cohen, Haft & Associates
 The Montgomery County Planning Department is co-sponsoring a bus tour of mid-century modern houses and buildings in the county on Sunday, October 8 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, August 30. Learn more here. The event is being organized with Docomomo-DC, the Potomac Valley chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Bender JCC of Greater Washington as part of Docomomo-US National Tour Day.
The bus tour will be led by architectural historian Clare Lise Kelly, author of the Planning Department's award-winning book, Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1930-1979. |
 Updated M-NCPPC Parks Rules & Regulations Are In Effect Updates 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. |
 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. |
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! - Experience farm life from the 1850s to the present at the 25th Annual Harvest Festival, Saturday, October 7th, from 11a-4p at Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, MD. Folks of all ages will enjoy hands-on activities, games and farming demonstrations. Enjoy some down-home fun on the farm with old-time crafts, activities, music, and food. Activities will include hayrides, corn maze, animal demonstrations, archaeology dig, and garden tours! $15 per vehicle (cash only)
- 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.
- 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 this fall.
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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: |
Accessibility Improvements Continue |
Park Projects - Forest Glen Neighborhood Park repair work has begun 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
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 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 closed. 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.
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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 Sligo Creek Trail has slid into the creek resulting in an emergency trail closure. The section impacted is in the Sligo Creek Stream Valley Unit #1 area. Look for signs and closure at the New Hampshire Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway intersection. Trail users should use caution and seek alternate routes in this area. Vehicular traffic should stay alert, and share the road with cyclists as work continues over the next several weeks.
- 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.
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  The 2017 Fall Program GUIDE! |
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