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.

Montgomery Women honors community activism of Board's first Hispanic member.

The Montgomery County Planning Board is pleased to announce that Planning Board member Natali Fani-González has been chosen for the 2015 Rising Star Award. This annual prize is given by Montgomery Women, a non-partisan leadership and political action committee, to recognize the promise and achievements of a female community activist.

"We're proud that Natali Fani-González has received the Rising Star award. I would say she already rose quite a while back - she is a great leader and a colleague with no ceiling on her future," said Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson at the ceremony.
 

Fani-González received the award at Montgomery Women's 11th annual Power Tea on March 15 at the Strathmore Mansion. "I am committed to improving Montgomery County and honored by this award and its celebration of community service," she said. Learn more. 

The the next MVMatters community meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm in the Watkins Mill High School cafeteria.

We will discuss the draft Montgomery Village Overlay Zone in detail.  Information on the Montgomery Village Master Plan, including materials from previous MV Matters meetings, is available at www.montgomeryplanning.org/mvp.
 

Little Bennett Campground opened 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.

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.
 

April 23, 7 p.m. at Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium

 Join Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Department of Recreation to learn about the Capital Improvements Program for 2015 - 2022. A joint public forum will take place on April 23 where the public is invited to ask questions and provide suggestions for future park and recreation projects. More information is available here.

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!

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