The Montgomery County Planning Department is participating in a one-day conference being held by The National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Catholic University's School of Architecture and Planning.

Rick Liu, an economic and development specialist, will be one of three speakers to address the challenges confronting the office market in the greater Washington, DC area. The recent economic downturn, advances in technology, changes in the way people work and evolving tenant preferences have led to shrinking demand for office space across the region. For many communities, these trends have resulted in higher than average vacancy rates and underutilized office buildings, delayed new development and weakened revitalization efforts. Learn more here.
 

Montgomery Parks will hold a Community Meeting at Pinecrest Local Park Tuesday, June 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., to present and answer questions on the upcoming renovations proposed to improve park access and use. The public is invited to come out to review the plan and offer their input in making a better park. For further information, click here.  

The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Staff Draft as the Public Hearing Draft for the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan at its meeting on Thursday, May 21. The Board's public hearing about the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, when the community is invited to comment on the Plan's recommendations. The community is invited to sign up to testify on the Bethesda Downtown Plan at the Public Hearing on Wednesday, June 24 from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. and from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814. Spaces are limited, so the public is encouraged to call 301.495.4605 or sign up to testify online. 

The public is also invited to submit online comments about the Bethesda Downtown Plan via email to bethesdadowntownplan@montgomeryplanning.org. These comments will become part of the public testimony and public record for the Plan. In order to accommodate enough time for testimony, the Board approved the change in the normal Thursday Board meeting schedule for Wednesday, June 24, as well as for the public hearing to be held at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. 

View the Bethesda Downtown Plan Public Hearing Draft.

View the May 21 Bethesda Downtown Plan Board presentation.

Learn more

Community invited to meet with planners, learn about the area's challenges and opportunities, and provide feedback about neighborhood issues

The Montgomery County Planning Department is launching the White Flint 2 Sector Plan on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at an open house being held at the Luxmanor Elementary School (6201 Tilden Lane, North Bethesda, MD) from 7 to 9 p.m.

Community residents and business owners are invited to hear about the goals of the Sector Plan and learn about existing conditions, opportunities and challenges. County planners will discuss the scope of the Plan and answer questions from participants. The community will be encouraged to provide initial ideas for the plan on a "feedback wall" at the event. Learn more here.
 

The last weekend in June 2015

Montgomery Parks joins with historic organizations throughout the county to celebrate Montgomery County Heritage Days with a series of FREE events and activities for all. This county-wide festival offers visitors an opportunity to sample numerous sites representing the history, culture, and natural beauty of the county. For scheduled park activities click here.
 

Montgomery Parks will begin maintenance and improvements to the Rock Creek Trail SVU #2 beginning July 2015.  Please use caution between Connecticut Avenue and Franklin Street while trails are being repaved and other enhancements are being made. For more information on park trail improvement projects, visit MontgomeryTrails.org
 

Planners will provide details about proposed zoning changes, parks and open space preservation, and transportation recommendations

The Montgomery County Planning Department is holding the last of the MV Matters community meetings on Tuesday, July 7 to present the staff recommendations for the Montgomery Village Master Plan. The event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Montgomery Village Middle School at 19300 Watkins Mill Road, Montgomery Village, MD 20886. (Please note the change in the meeting location from the Watkins Mill High School, which is currently being renovated.)

Residents and property owners are invited to offer input about the Master Plan's recommendations for land use and zoning, transportation networks, parks and open spaces. Planning Department staff will also provide an overview of the Draft Montgomery Village Overlay Zone, explaining its purpose and intent.

The Working Draft of the Montgomery Village Master Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Planning Board on July 23, 2015. The tentative date for the Planning Board Public Hearing on the Montgomery Village Master Plan is Thursday, September 10, 2015, and a public notice will be sent when the date is confirmed. Learn more.
 

Thursday, July 9, 2015

The community is invited to review the Hillandale Local Park Renovation Project Plan at the Montgomery Regional Office Building, 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. The Montgomery County Planning Board will hear public testimony during the Facility Plan review. Parks staff will review the facilities located in the park and proposed plans to remove the buildings, make ball field and stormwater management improvements, and redevelop the parking lot for better access. For further information, click here.

Online "Feedback Map"available from the June 6 event featuring comments about the County's bicycling network

The Montgomery County Planning Department participated in the Second Great MoCo Bike Summit on Saturday, June 6 at the Silver Spring Civic Center (1 Veterans Plaza). The event focused on ways of incorporating next-generation bicycle facilities into the County's transportation network.

At the summit, County planner David Anspacher presented an overview of the new Bicycle Master Plan and its focus on developing a high-quality network of cycling routes throughout the County.

In addition to the presentations, the approximately 100 attendees had the opportunity to provide written feedback on a large scale County map affixed to the wall of the Silver Spring Civic Building. Attendees were asked to give comments on how the bicycle connections in the County could be improved. Those comments have now been included on an online map and can be viewed by the public and will be considered by planners as work begins on the update to the Bicycle Master Plan.

View the "Feedback Map" from the June 6 Bike Summit. 

Registration for many Montgomery Parks summer classes and programs opened on May 14th. View the Summer Guide online to start planning your summer fun.

Work is scheduled to begin at Potomac Community Neighborhood Park to improve access for people with disabilities. Montgomery Parks will be making improvements to other parks including Pleasant View Local Park and Ayrlawn Local Park. For more information on these and other accessibility projects please visit: Accessibility Information for Montgomery Parks webpage.

The playground at Johnson's Local Park will be temporarily closed for renovations as part of the Playground Renovation Program. The project is scheduled to be completed by June, 2015. For more information on the playground renovation project and other parks scheduled, click here.

Portions of the Capital Crescent Trail will be temporarily closed for the next few weeks to allow for trail improvements and better access. For more information, please click here.

A portion of the Western Piedmont Trail in Little Bennett Regional Park is closed for construction below Hyattstown Mill where the trail crosses Little Bennett Creek. A new bridge is being installed to replace the existing culvert. Construction is expected to last up to a year. For more information on park trails, visit montgomerytrails.org.

Portions of the Paint Branch Trail between East Randolph Road and Fairland Road will have restricted use while WSSC begins sewer line and manhole repairs. Please follow the directions of construction flag men for trail detours and use. For more information on park trails, visit montgomerytrails.org.

Montgomery Parks celebrates the opening of Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park, the first park in Montgomery County that is certified for sustainable landscaping and design practices. The park is dedicated to Mary Bradford, Former Director of Montgomery Parks, under whose tenure the park was envisioned and developed. Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park is located at 2001 Evans Parkway, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Watch the video!

Watch the latest video from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Office on why "Old Places Matter."

Check out this short promo to find out how the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Office is protecting our heritage. Watch it here.

On July 1, 2015, the Planning Department will begin working on a comprehensive update to the Master Plan of Bikeways. Watch the promo here and learn more at montgomeryplanning.org/bikeplan