September 25, 2015
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, October 1. View the full agenda for that meeting here.
Planning Department Announces Calendar of October Events

The Montgomery County Planning Board is pleased to announce its calendar for October 2015. These events offer opportunities for the Board and Planning Department staff to engage with 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.

The agenda of upcoming Planning Board meetings being held this fall is posted on the Agendas & Staff Reports page.
September 23 Tour of Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve Offers Valuable Lessons for Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program

The Montgomery County Planning Department hosted members of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP) on Wednesday, September 23 during a morning tour of farms within the County's 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve.

"The model of agricultural land preservation in Montgomery County should be common throughout the nation," said Colorado State University professor Franklyn Garry, a CALP participant who initiated the tour. "The open space, beauty, environmental benefits, good food and opportunities provided to the citizens of the County are a treasure that all communities should look to develop." Learn more here.
M-NCPPC "Best in Nation" with Unprecedented Sixth Gold Medal Award Win

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) today won the prestigious 2015 National Gold Medal Award for excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. The Gold Medal is one of the highest professional awards available to parks and recreation agencies throughout the country and involves a stringent qualification and judging process.  The Gold Medal Award is presented annually by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

M-NCPPC has a long history of Gold Medal successes, winning the prize in 1973, 1977, 1984 and 2003. M-NCPPC won its fifth Gold Medal in 1983 for leadership in special recreation and outstanding community achievement in serving people with disabilities. This year's win secured the agency's sixth Gold Medal. No other agency in the country has ever won six. Learn more here.
MD 97 Brookeville Project

The Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration (SHA) invites interested persons to attend an informational meeting about the reinitiation of the MD 97 Project in Brookeville, Montgomery County. SHA has refined the previously selected alternative that will reduce the steadily increasing traffic in the Town of Brookeville, improve traffic operations and safety on MD 97, and preserve the Town's historic character. The project extends approximately 0.72 mile along MD 97 from south of Gold Mine Road to north of Holiday Drive. The informational meeting will reacquaint the public with the project background and the purpose and need. Members of the project team will explain why the previously selected alternative has been refined. Maps and other displays will be available for review, and SHA representatives will answer project-related questions and address comments and concerns. No formal presentation will be given. You may arrive at any time during meeting hours and walk through the display area at your own pace.
Public Offered New Opportunities to Participate in Montgomery Planning's Bicycle Master Plan
 
The Montgomery County Planning Department is encouraging residents to attend the last two community kickoff meetings for its Bicycle Master Plan. The fifth and final kickoff meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6 at Walter Johnson High School (64700 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD). Both meetings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.The last two meetings will consist of a short presentation by County planner and project manager David Anspacher, followed by an opportunity to meet with Planning Department staff and learn about relevant topics, such as how traffic stress affects cycling and the state of bicycling in Montgomery County. Learn more here.
NEW: Day to Serve & National Public Lands Day 2015

Montgomery Parks is very excited to once again be taking part in Day to Serve and National Public Lands Day (NPLD) in September 2015. Day to Serve events are taking place from September 10 to October 11 and NPLD events are scheduled for the weekend of September 26-27. To participate and view more info, click here.
NOTICE: Road Closure at Meadowbrook Local Park at Beach Drive

A portion of Beach Drive and Meadowbrook Lane will be closed this Sunday, September 27 from 7-11 a.m. for a community race at Meadowbrook Local Park. As a safety measure, cyclists will need to dismount and walk their bikes on this portion of the roadway or use a detour on Grubb Road to re-enter Beach Drive. For additional information, please click here.
Park Projects:
 
Trail Work in Parks
 
Bikers and Runners should use caution as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks:
  • UPDATE: Capital Crescent Trail tree work continues south of Dorset Avenue to the DC Line with trail access intermittingly being interrupted.  
  • UPDATE: Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail Storm water management work is scheduled to continue this fall, between Franklin Street and Knowles Avenue. Trail will be intermittingly closed. Please follow detours.
  • 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.
24th Annual Harvest Festival: October 3, 2015
 
Join Montgomery Parks at the Agricultural History Farm Park for the 24th Annual Harvest Festival, on Saturday, October 3, 2015.  Featuring live farm animals, scarecrow making, a corn maze, farm house tours, garden tours, antique farm equipment, candle making, hay rides, an archaeology dig, working farm animal demonstrations and more! Click here for more information.
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.
Trail Sign Installation Project on Rock Creek Trail
 
Signage Installation for better wayfinding on the trail and adjacent neighborhood trail connectors leading to main trail continues south on the 14 mile Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail. Please use caution around work areas scheduled to go from Rock Creek Regional Park- Lake Needwood to the DC Line. For more information, click here.
Montgomery County Planning Department and Potomac Valley AIA Hold Design Excellence Award Program 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. at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD).

The winner of the Planning Department's first annual Design Excellence Award competition will be announced during the celebration, which 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.
American Institute of Architects Honors M-NCPPC's Clare Lise Kelly with Kea Medal for her Advocacy of Montgomery County's Modern Heritage
 
SILVER SPRING, MD - The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is pleased to announce that staff senior architectural historian Clare Lise Kelly is this year's recipient of the Paul H. Kea Medal from the Potomac Valley chapter of the American Institute of Architects. She is being recognized for making a significant and exemplary contribution to the profession through her architectural advocacy.

Kelly serves as Research and Designation Coordinator for the Historic Preservation Office of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Montgomery Modern: Modern Architecture in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1930-1979, to be published in October 2015. Learn more here.
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.
The Rock Spring Master Plan Kick Off Meeting Recap
 
The Rock Spring Master Plan kicked off their work on reimaging the Rock Spring. Watch the recap here.
Montgomery County Bicycle Master Plan Kickoff Meeting Recap
 
The Bicycle Master Plan is underway with a series of kickoff meetings happening around the County. Watch the recap here.

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