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.

The five-part Winter Speakers Series called "A Once and Future County" came to a close this past week. The series began in November, and featured former Planning Board Chair Royce Hanson among many other special guest. The series focused on how past planning policies came to be and how they are continuing to shape Montgomery County. For more information on this exciting series go online to montgomeryplanning.org/onceandfuture.

On March 7, Councilmember Roger Berliner hosted community members, MCPS, members of the Board of Education, MCDOT, County Council staff and Planning Department staff  at the "Infrastructure and Growth: Are We Keeping Pace" forum. The panel discussion and presentations took place at B-CC High School and gave attendees the opportunity to consider issues regarding infrastructure, transportation, school capacity and more. The all-day event featured presentations from Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, County Planning Director Gwen Wright, as well as industry professionals. For a recap on the event including presentation materials and more, check out montgomerycountymd.gov/berliner.

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!

Little Bennett Campground will open on March 14 for the weekends; full-time camping opens the weekend of March 28. The campground features 91 wooded campsites. Thirty miles north of Washington D.C., the campground is a hidden getaway located in Little Bennett Regional Park. See a video about the campground on Montgomery Parks YouTube Channel. For more information about the campground including booking a campsite, upcoming events and fees, please visit www.LittleBennettCampground.com

The South Germantown Driving Range will open this weekend for the season. Located in South Germantown Recreational Park the driving range features 40 tees (10 are covered). A full complement of lessons, summer camps and after-school programs are available for individuals and groups of all ages and abilities. See www.SGDrivingRange.com for more information.

A portion of the Paint Branch Trail located in Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Park will be closed beginning in April as part of a restoration project by the MD State Highway Association. The trail is expected to reopen in the fall.

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.  
 

The Olney Manor Skate Park will be a free and unsupervised facility beginning in April. The skate park features 14,400 square feet of skateboarding fun. The 90-foot by 160-foot park features a 10-foot-deep bowl, Hubba ledge, steps with handrail, quarter pipes, Fun Box with flat rail, manual pad, and Pyramid Ledge. It is located in Olney Manor Recreational Park at 16601 Georgia Avenue
Olney, MD 20832.

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.
 

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 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