JULY  3, 2014
 
Planning Board Agenda
Planning Board Agenda Thursday, July 10 
Attend, watch and listen to the upcoming Planning Board meeting on Thursday, July 10. View the full agenda.
Celebrate the Fourth with Montgomery County
Catch the annual Germantown Glory festival at South Germantown Recreational Park on Friday, July 4th
 
The event starts at 7 p.m. with fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Low lawn chairs, blankets and coolers are welcome. Food vendors will be on-site, no alcoholic beverages are permitted. Also, please leave your pets at home (the fireworks could damage sensitive hearing). The rain date for fireworks is July 5. Learn more.
Montgmery County Planning Board Appoints Michael Riley Director of Montgomery Parks
Riley's 30-year tenure with the Department provides institutional knowledge and experience for a smooth transition in managing the county's 420 parks and 36,000 acres of parkland

The Montgomery County Planning Board recently announced the appointment of Michael F. Riley to the position of Director of the Montgomery County Department of Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). In this role, Mr. Riley will be responsible for more than 700 department employees including the Park Police Division, over 36,000 acres of parkland, 420 parks and an annual operating budget of $100 million.  He will begin as director on July 21, 2014. Learn more about the appointment.
Fran�oise Carrier Parting Interview
Watch the Interview with Planning Board Chair Fran�oise Carrier as she reflects on her tenure as Chair

View the full video interview of Fran�oise Carrier as she gives her thoughts on her four years as Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board. The video is produced by the County Cable Montgomery (CCM) in partnership with the Montgomery County Planning Department. 
Reminder: Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly & Caterpillar Exhibit Cancelled for 2014
Due to limited parking from ongoing construction to significantly improve our entrance and parking areas, Brookside Garden's Wings of Fancy butterfly exhibit is cancelled for the 2014 season. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment, but invite you to visit our free summer Conservatory Display, open daily until Sunday, September 21 and to come back in 2015 when Wings of Fancy returns. Please note that Brookside Gardens and the Conservatory remain open during construction; please consider using these alternative parking areas during your visit.
Attend the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan Community Workshop - July 15, 6:30-8:30 PM
Community invited to give feedback on existing strengths and weaknesses of the plan area

The Montgomery County Planning Department will be hosting a community workshop on Tuesday, July 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan to identify existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for the Plan Area. The meeting will take place at the Gwendolyn E. Coffield Center (2450 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring, MD) and all residents, property owners and business owners are invited to attend. RSVP's are encouraged, but not required.

Details:
What: Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan Community Workshop
Who: Residents, property owners and anyone focused on the future of Greater Lyttonsville
When: Tuesday, July 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
Where: Gwendolyn E. Coffield Center - 2450 Lyttonsville Road, Silver Spring, MD
Info: Learn more about the Sector Plan
Social Media: #GreaterLP
Planners Review Updated White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan with County Council Committee

Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee will hold first of five work sessions to review the updated east county plan



The Montgomery County Planning Department has started the review of the updated White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan with the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee. Discussions will continue through a series of work sessions that will conclude with a vote on the plan by the full Council at the end of the month. After the Planning Board transmitted its draft plan for White Oak in September 2013, the County Council requested that the Planning Department and the Executive branch identify options to assure a balance between land use and transportation. The revisions to the plan can be found in the updated draft transmitted to Council in December 2013, and presented to Council on June 17, 2014. Learn more about the upcoming work sessions with the PHED Committee.
Purple Line Mandatory Referral Update
Responses to Planning Board's comments now posted

On March 20, 2014, the Montgomery County Planning Board reviewed the Purple Line, Bethesda Metro Station South Entrance, Capital Crescent Trail and Silver Spring Green Trail. The board sent comments focused on community compatibility and station access to the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). Responses to all of the comments are now posted on the Planning Department's Purple Line webpage. In addition, the Planning Board recently sent a letter to Councilmember Roger Berliner, Chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, identifying the Board's priorities for enhancing the Purple Line project. 

Questions, comments? Contact David Anspacher, Transportation Planner at [email protected]
Update on Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park Master Plan - July 17

Montgomery Parks will deliver a Staff Draft Presentation on the Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park Master Plan Update to the Montgomery Planning Board on July 17, 2014. The time will be determined closer to the date of the presentation and will be listed at www.MontgomeryPlanningBoard.org. Park staff will brief the Planning Board on the proposed concepts and phases of the Master Plan Update.
  • Phase One will include an overall vision of the park, a Preliminary Program of Requirements and a location of the carousel.
  • Phase Two will include the overall vision for the development of the rest of the park.  
Thursday, July 17, 2014, Time TBD
Montgomery Planning Board Public Meeting

Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park Master Plan Update Staff Draft Presentation
M-NCPPC Main Regional Office (MRO) Auditorium
8787 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Bethesda Downtown Plan Update

The Planning Board received a briefing on the Bethesda Downtown Plan on Thursday, June 26.

Check out this video, produced by the Planning Department, featuring attendees at the last community workshop.
Bethesda Downtown Plan EcoDistrict Presentation Recap

The Bethesda Downtown Plan EcoDistrict Workshop brought out more than 45 members of the community to learn about concepts, examples and the development of goals and strategies for possible application EcoDistricts in Downtown Bethesda. Check out the presentation from Senior Environmental Planner, Tina Schneider to learn more.
Montgomery Planners On Two Wheels
Members of the Planning Department learn about bicycling in an urban environment

Twenty members of the Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission learned about how to ride a bicycle in an urban environment. Instructors from Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) taught beginners and confident riders about how to be safe on two wheels. Check out the photo album from the event (photo credit: Kevin Leonard, Montgomery Planning).

Learn about the latest transportation planning updates from Montgomery Planning.
Path Through the Gude Garden at Brookside Gardens is Now Reopened
The path through the Gude Garden at Brookside Gardens, which has been under construction since last fall is now reopened! To learn more about the ongoing Brookside Gardens makeover please visit www.BrooksideGardens.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
Montgomery Parks is looking for both special event and long-term volunteers. Go to www.ParksVolunteers.org, click on Search and Apply for Volunteer Opportunities, then click on the category that interests you. Here are some examples of the opportunities we have open:
  • NNI Removal Events, Various locations and dates, help us rid the park trees of vines and other Non-Native Invasives that are taking over!
  • Tree Stewards, Various parks - commit to at least one year of quarterly park visits.  Help us keep an eye on our most valuable resource in parks, our trees!
  • Hot Opportunities - these are the opportunities that we really need volunteers to fill soon! Check them out!
Work With Us
Interested in a career with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission? Check out our list of rewarding job opportunities here.
Community Organization Lists 
Our online tool will make HOA organization email addresses available to web users seeking to notify residents about pending development or other issues. We rely on homeowners and civic organizations to help spread the word about development applications and planning initiatives. Homeowner's association leaders may want to update your organizational contact information to a generic '[email protected]' and update your contact information. 
Customer Service Center button
Have a Question About M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks?
Have a question about Montgomery Parks? Need to report a problem or maintenance issue in a park? Check out the Department's, easy to use Customer Service Center and find out how to contact us by phone and email. You'll also find an easy to use online form to submit questions or information about problems in parks.
Planning Help Center logo
Have a Question About Planning?
Wondering about that sign advertising pending development in your community? Curious about how forest conservation works? Residents and others with questions about development, community plans, zoning, transportation, or environmental issues may find the answers they seek on a Department HELP page. The page features links, an online employee directory and an online question/comment form.
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