October 31 - November 2 | Locations and times vary

Each November, Montgomery Parks celebrates the freedom of the enslaved population in Maryland. Among other adventures, you and your family can hike the Underground Railroad, tour1800s log cabins, visit a museum dedicated to the legacy of slavery, enjoy living history demonstrations and eat great food! Events held Saturday and Sunday are FREE, unless otherwise noted, and open to the public. This year's Maryland's Emancipation Day Celebrations are supported in part by Heritage Montgomery. More info here.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 7:30-4pm

Are you an arborist, landscape professional, environmental specialist, or citizen or professional interested in the latest research on trees, maintenance practices and issues, and more? Make plans to attend the 3rd Annual Trees Matter Conference, planned for Wednesday, November 5. Learn from some of the country's leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings. More info here.

Property owners shared their ideas with the community for changes to their properties

Eight Bethesda property owners were represented at the Bethesda Downtown Plan Property Owners Forum on October 29. The online event was the first of its kind sponsored by the Planning Department. Watch the full event of the online Bethesda Property Owners Forum from October 29.

The preliminary recommendations for the Bethesda Downtown Plan will be made available to the public as part of an online "feedback loop" prior the Board presentation tentatively scheduled for December 11. Stay connected to all of the news on the Bethesda Downtown Plan. 

Attendees focused on streetscape and connectivity in the Ripley District

On October 29th more than 45 attendees attended Councilmember Hans Riemer's second Silver Spring Placemaking Workshop at Denizens Brewing Co. in south Silver Spring. Attendees were asked to draw and design their best streetscape design for the Ripley District. The third and final workshop is happening this Wednesday, November 5 at the Silver Spring Civic Building (Spring Room) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a focus on the Colesville/Metro Gateway areas of Silver Spring. Learn more at www.silverspringplacemaking.com. 

Watch the video from the Silver Spring Placemaking Workshop #1.

Montgomery Parks will host a public meeting on a proposed new use for the Maplewood-Alta Vista Park Activity Building. Rock Creek Dance Academy, LLC is seeking to lease the building to offer music, dance and movement classes for people ages 3 - 18 years old. A presentation on the proposed new use will be given at the public meeting when attendees will have a chance to ask questions and provide input.

Learn more on the public meeting here.

M-NCPPC Staff Contact:

Dan Hertz, Project Manager

(301) 495-2588

Daniel.Hertz@MontgomeryParks.org 

Planning Department Expands Shades of Green program that provides free trees to eligible property owners in Montgomery County.

The Montgomery County Planning Department is offering free trees to qualifying property owners in certain urban districts of Montgomery County. The Shades of Green program, which was launched in 2012 as a pilot program, is now expanding to some additional areas of the county that have a high level of impervious surface in an effort to enhance the tree canopy cover. 

Learn more about the Shades of Green program.

Submit your best photos of Montgomery Village to the Photo Contest

Attendees and residents are urged to enter a photo contest, aimed at documenting the most valuable places in Montgomery Village. These images will help planners understand the priorities of residents and business owners as they develop concepts for various areas of the Village. Interested shutter bugs can send their pics to MVP@montgomeryplanning.org. Check out all of the details on the MVP Photo Contest. Learn more about the next steps for the Montgomery Village Plan. 

New Zoning Ordinance, affordable housing, urban parks and deer management are highlighted in Fall 2014 Semi-Annual Report

Montgomery Parks and Planning, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, presented its Fall 2014 Semi Annual Report to the Montgomery County Council on October 7. The report features accomplishments from the past six months as well as work that will be completed over the next six months. Some of the key initiatives for the Planning Department include implementation of the county's new zoning ordinance and revamping the development review process to be more efficient. The Parks Department highlighted their urban parks initiative and expansion plans for park trails. The 36- page Fall 2014 Semi-Annual Report is available online for review. 

Learn more about the Fall 2014 Semi-Annual Report. 

New Planning Department online map application allows the public to pinpoint locations and details of plans for neighborhoods.

The Montgomery County Planning Department, now offers an easy way for the public to find detailed information about development projects throughout the county. The Development Finder website, launched on October 7, offers an interactive map of the county and surrounding areas. Users can search by the address or location of the development or enter a simple term like "Wheaton" and be presented with the current projects in that area. Clicking on a specific community on the map also reveals numbered locations of developments that have been approved for construction or are pending approval. A sidebar summarizes the count and list of projects in that area. 

Learn more about the Development Finder map tool.