September 4, 2015
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, September 10. View the full agenda for that meeting here.

Montgomery County Planning Department Announces Calendar of September Events

 

The Montgomery County Planning Board is pleased to announce its calendar for September 2015. These events offer ways to engage with planners and Planning Board members, and help shape the future of communities within Montgomery County. Review the full list of events below and go online to www.montgomeryplanning.org for more details on projects and plans. View the full list here.

Community Meetings
 
Montgomery Parks will be hosting a Supplemental Community Meeting to present the Capital Crescent Trail Connector Project at the Bethesda Pool and Crossing Hillandale Road Tuesday, September 8, 2015. Meeting will be held at the B-CC Regional Service Center, Room A/B beginning at 7pm. For more information on the connector alignment options or to comment on project, click here.
3rd Annual Friendship Picnic

Join Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at Wheaton Regional Park for the 3rd Annual Friendship Picnic. The event brings together and celebrates the diverse communities of Montgomery County to share their cultures, traditions and faiths. Food, beverages and entertainment for the entire family will be provided. For more information, click here.
hike, bike, roll, stroll, run, ride.... Got trails?
We need your help to make our trail system the best it can be as we update the Countywide Park Trails Plan.

Please join us at a public meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 7:00 PM to "Tell us what you think!" about the future of trails in Montgomery Parks. We are doing a comprehensive amendment to the Countywide Park Trails Plan introducing a new "Loops and Links" trail system designed to service as many trail users as possible and result in a system that is more buildable and longer lasting. Learn more at ParkPlanning.org.
Draft Scope of Work for White Flint 2 Sector Plan Presented to Planning Board on September 3

The Montgomery County Planning Department launched the White Flint 2 Sector Plan at a community open house on June 25.

On Thursday, September 3, the Montgomery County Planning Board members will return from their summer recess and review the Draft Scope of Work for the White Flint 2 Sector Plan to discuss the planning objectives they would like to achieve in this area. The meeting will be held at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD).

Community residents and business owners are invited to attend this meeting to learn about the goals of the Sector Plan and existing conditions, opportunities and challenges. Learn more here.

View the draft of the White Flint 2 Scope of Work.
Interested In Knowing About Montgomer College Facilities Master Plan For 2014-2024?

Montgomery College will hold a community meeting on each campus to discuss the 2014-2024 Facilities Master Plan.

Rockville Campus - Tuesday, September 8, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. in Room SC152, the Science Center Building

Germantown Campus - Wednesday, September 9, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. in Globe Hall in the High Technology and Science Center Building

Takoma Park Campus - Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. in room CM211 in the Catherine F. Scott Commons Building

Please contact Mr. Jamie Karn at 240-567-4288 if you have any questions.
Community Invited to Testify at September 10 Public Hearing for Montgomery Village Master Plan in Rockville

Silver Spring, MD - The Montgomery County Planning Board will take testimony on the Public Hearing Draft of the Montgomery Village Master Plan on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the third floor hearing room of the Council Office Building located at 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland. The public is invited to testify at the meeting to offer feedback about the Master Plan, which is posted on the Planning Department's web site.

Only a limited number of time slots for testimony on September 10 are available, so the public is encouraged to call 301-495-4605, go online to sign up or call the Chair's Office at 301.495.4605. In order to hear from as many people as possible, each speaker will be limited to three minutes for testimony. Learn more here.
Bicycle Master Plan Will Launch with Fall Community Meetings
 
The Montgomery County Planning Department is inviting the community to participate in kick-off meetings during September and October 2015 to learn about the Bicycle Master Plan and how to get involved in planning a bicycle network for Montgomery County. The meetings will be held in five locations so that County residents can pick the one that is most convenient for them to attend.
 
The Bicycle Master Plan will consider the newest types of bikeways, such as separated and buffered bike lanes and bicycle boulevards, as well as secure bicycle storage facilities at transit stations. The network will be developed using an evaluation of the varying levels of stress imposed by traffic on cyclists along each roadway in the County. Learn more here.
Annual Pawpaw Festival
 
It's time to get your paws on some pawpaws! Meadowside Nature Center will celebrate the Annual Pawpaw Festival, Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM. Music, storytelling, crafts, games, face painters, raptor talks and most importantly, a pawpaw tasting station. Come get your pawpaw on!
Elevated Levels of Microcystin in Lake Needwood Reported
 
Park visitors are encouraged to use caution when recreating on or near Lake Needwood and Lake Frank in Rock Creek Regional Park as high levels of Microcystin have been recently reported. Microcystin is a toxic substance produced by seasonal blue-green algae (also known as Cyanobacteria) bloom and may be harmful if digested. Recreational users should take precautionary measures around shorelines and lakes.  Pets should not be allowed to enter or drink water. For more information please click here.

Montgomery Parks and Montgomery Recreation Launch ActiveMONTGOMERY

 

Montgomery Parks, in collaboration with Montgomery County Recreation is launching a new registration system, ActiveMONTGOMERY. The new system replaces ParkPASS and RecWeb, to provide one location, users can access with one username and password to register for classes from either organization. Visit www.ActiveMontgomery.org for more information.

Park Projects:
 
Trail Work in Parks
 
Bikers and Runners should use caution as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks:
  • Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail between Connecticut Avenue and Franklin Street.
  • Capital Crescent Trail tree work will be coordinated from Dorset Avenue to the DC Line with trail access intermittently being interrupted. Please watch for flaggers and use caution around work areas.
  • Western Piedmont Trail is closed below Hyattstown Mill where the trail crosses Little Bennett Creek for installation of a new bridge. Work is expected to continue for a year.
  • Paint Branch Trail will have restricted use between Randolph Road and Fairland Road due to WSSC work.  
For more information on Montgomery Parks Trails please visit www.MontgomeryTrails.org.
Brookside Gardens Parking Update
 
Parking at Brookside Gardens for the Wings of Fancy Exhibit and general garden access may be limited, due to ongoing construction. Visit parking alternatives and the Garden Gateway project for more information.
Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center Scheduled To Be Closed
 
The Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center will be closed through September 30th for major facility renovations, including the installation of central air conditioning. Click here for more info.
Montgomery County Planning Department's First Annual Design Excellence Award Program Celebration to be Held on October 22
 
The Montgomery County Planning Department  is inviting everyone with an interest in excellent architecture, landscape architecture and urban design to attend "Celebrate Design" on Thursday, October 22 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The winner of the Planning Department's first annual Design Excellence Award competition will be announced during the celebration at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD). The event will also include the annual awards ceremony of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Potomac Valley Chapter. One of the highlights of the evening will be a presentation on the business case for design excellence by land use strategist Christopher Leinberger, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Learn more here.
Attend the Montgomery Modern Book Launch Party Oct. 30, 7-9 p.m.
 
The Montgomery County Planning Department is hosting a book launch party for the new book entitled Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1930-1979 on Friday, October 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Writer's Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD).

The event, sponsored by the Planning Department's Historic Preservation Office, is free. Ms. Kelly will give a presentation and attendees will have an opportunity to purchase a signed book. RSVP's are encouraged but not required. Learn more here.

Register to attend the Montgomery Modern Book Launch Party.
Update to Subdivision Staging Policy To Be Discussed at Open House
 
The Montgomery County Planning Department is updating the Subdivision Staging Policy (formerly called Growth Policy) for review and approval by the County Council by November 15, 2016. The intent of the Subdivision Staging Policy is to ensure public facilities, particularly schools and roads, are adequate to meet the needs of new development and growth. Learn more here.
  • Butterfly Show Volunteers, Brookside Gardens - Click here!
  • Weed Warrior Training Classes (Only 2 more classes left - September & October)- Click here!
  • Nature Ambassadors, Students help at Park Events - Click here!

  • Hot Opportunities - these events are a lot of fun and we need your help! - Click here!