The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its events calendar for February 2015. From a movie screening to a community meeting, these public sessions offer ways to engage with planners and Board members, and help shape the future of Montgomery County. Review the full list of events below and go online to www.montgomeryplanning.org for more details on projects and plans.

Planner and architect oversaw master plans, development review and design projects for the County's largest area
 

Montgomery County Planning Department is announcing the retirement of John Carter, AIA, who served as the Chief of several divisions.  As the Chief of the Community-Based Planning Division for more than 10 years, Carter was responsible for overseeing master plans, zoning cases and urban design projects.  As the Chief of Area 3, he was responsible for master planning and development review in the largest geographic area of the county. He also served as Chief of the Urban Design and Historic Preservation Division for two years. Learn more here.

Transportation planners are reviewing and revising the county's Master Plan of Highways [PDF], an effort that classifies each Montgomery County road in the transportation network, in the first comprehensive update to the plan since 1955.

The plan will update the road network with current classifications and align it with the County Road Code, which was comprehensively updated in 2007. The update will consolidate all roadway amendments that have been approved as part of Master Plans as well as limited functional Master Plan of Highways amendments. Learn more.
 

Attend meetings and discussions:

• Monday, February 23, presentation at Western Montgomery Citizens Advisory Board's meeting at B-CC Regional Services Center, 7:30 pm

Montgomery Parks is proposing to construct two solar farms on park property in South Germantown Recreational Park and Rock Creek Regional Park by the end of 2015. The public can provide input on this proposal in person at the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting on March 5. Visit ParkPlanning.org for more information and to Tell us what you think!

Join us to celebrate local ice skating champions who grew up training at Wheaton and Cabin John ice arenas and are now headed for National and International competitions. The celebration will take place February 24 at 7 p.m. at Wheaton Indoor Ice Arena. Skaters will perform and be available for autographs and photographs. The free event is open to the public and media.
 

Historic Preservation staff will join staff from the Maryland Historical Trust to discuss historic preservation tax credits at an event sponsored by Peerless Rockville from 7-9 on Feb 24 at the Red Brick Courthouse, 29 Courthouse Square in Rockville.  Watch this video for an introduction to Montgomery County's preservation tax credit program.

The Montgomery County Planning Department invites business owners and residents to discuss the Montgomery Village Master Plan at a meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. at the Watkins Mill High School cafeteria (10301 Apple Ridge Road, Gaithersburg, MD).

Department of Planning Department staff will recap the frequently asked questions from the February 9 meeting and will focus on the proposed land uses for the former Montgomery Village golf course. In addition, the Montgomery Village Overlay Zone will be explained as a strategy for retaining and preserving open spaces within the Village.  During breakout sessions, staff invites participants to discuss their concerns and ideas about proposals related to the former golf course and Village Overlay Zone. Learn more here.
 

Montgomery Parks invites the public to a community meeting on February 19 at 7 p.m. to learn about a proposed reuse of the Colesville Park Activity Building by Delta Alumnae Foundation, Inc.

The organization intends to use the park activity building for meeting space and as a center to support the organization's community service activities. Questions or comments please contact Daniel.Hertz@MontgomeryParks.org.
 

A series of public meetings will be held at the end of February on proposed reuse of the Ken-Gar Park Activity Building, the North Chevy Chase Park Activity Building and Colesville Park Activity Building. For more details visit here.
 

Join experts to learn why it is of critical importance to protect our pollinators. Registration is open for this year's Green Matters Symposium taking place on February 27 at the Silver Spring Civic Center. www.BrooksideGreen.org

Panelists to discuss evolution of land use policies and their effects on County growth
 

The Montgomery County Planning Department is hosting the final event in its Winter Speakers Series on Wednesday, March 11 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD.). The series is called "A Once and Future County: Lessons on How Planning Politics Shaped Montgomery County" and is hosted by Royce Hanson, former chairman of the County's Planning Board.

The concluding session, titled "Hunting the Snark: Growth Policy and the Public Interest," evaluates the effects of the 40-year evolution of county growth policy on development patterns. Hanson and a panel of experts will discuss the institutional structure of planning in Montgomery County for effective and democratically accountable land use policy. Learn more here.
 

The 2015 Montgomery County Recreation and Parks Camps and Programs Guide is here! Registration is open and we have early bird specials to save $25 on select camps. www.MontgomeryParks.org/camps

During inclement weather conditions you can find the latest information about the status of park and program operations at www.MontgomeryParks.org/weather. Learn more on our pilot snow removal program on the Capital Crescent Trail at www.MontgomeryParks.org/CCT. #CCTSnow

The Montgomery County Planning Department is accepting applications from county property owners seeking a financial reward for faithfully restoring the exteriors of their historic structures. To be eligible for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit, the property must be listed in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation. Watch the short video here.