The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its events calendar for March 2015. From a public forum on County infrastructure to community meetings focused on master planning, these sessions offer ways to engage with planners and Planning Board members, and help shape the future of Montgomery County. Review the full list of events 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.

Check out the latest edition of Somos Montgomery, the Spanish television show hosted by Julie Rios Little airing on County Cable Montgomery. In this segment, the Chair of the Planning Board Casey Anderson and Commissioner Natali Fani-González talk about the Montgomery County Planning Department and how to get involved with the planning process. Watch it now!

Check out the latest edition of Plan-It Montgomery (formerly known as Montgomery Plans). This show, produced with County Cable Montgomery is packed with great information about our current master planning efforts, downtown Silver Spring Placemaking and a profile story with Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson. Watch it now!

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.
 

Montgomery Parks is proposing constructing two solar arrays on undeveloped parkland sites; one at Rock Creek Regional Park and one at South Germantown Recreational Park.

The Planning Board presentation has been rescheduled from March 5 to Thursday, March 12, 2015 - agenda item #9. 

Please check the Planning Board Agenda for the time.

Please find more details at www.ParkPlanning.org. 

Lake Needwood at Rock Creek Regional Park and Little Seneca Lake at Black Hill Regional Park will open on March 15 instead of the planned March opening date, due to inclement weather conditions. For more information on boating and fishing at both lakes please visit here.  
 

Join Montgomery Parks, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission for the Inaugural Montgomery GreenFest.

This free event takes place from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Montgomery College Takoma Park /Silver Spring and in Jesup Black Local Park.

People of all ages are welcome to learn about all things green in the county, Festival will feature exhibits and entertainment, tree climbing for kids, an electric car show, workshops and speakers, environmental films and more.

Visit www.MontgomeryCountyGreenFest.org for all the details. #mcgreenfest
 

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.
 

All park and elementary / middle school athletic fields will open late this year due to unusually harsh weather conditions. Field are expected to open on April 1, if the weather permits, instead of the originally planned open date of March 15.  Additional information and updates about fields conditions will be available on the field rainout line at 301-765-8787 or through Montgomery Parks ALERT notifications 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