October 2, 2015
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, October 8. 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.
CANCELLED: 
Harvest Festival Scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2015
 
Due to the inclement weather conditions and this weekend's forecast, we have made a tough decision to cancel this Saturday's Harvest Festival. The event will not be rescheduled.

Please check www.MontgomeryParks.org periodically for weather related updates.
Planning Department Releases Working Draft of Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan

The Montgomery County Planning Department has completed the Working Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan for presentation to the Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday, October 8.

The Board's public hearing about the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, November 19, pending the approval of the Working Draft at the October 8 meeting. The community will be invited to comment on the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan recommendations at the public hearing which will be held at the Planning Department Headquarters (8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD). Learn more here.
Planning Board Will Hold Third Work Session for the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan on October 5

The Montgomery County Planning Board will conduct the third work session to review the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan on Monday, October 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. MD). The session will continue the discussion of the district-by-district zoning recommended for established and emerging centers that was outlined in the Public Hearing Draft of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan.

The new Plan recommends increasing density in Bethesda by approximately 20 percent with greater increases near identified centers of activity and gathering spaces, including the Farm Women's Cooperative Market, Bethesda Metrorail Station and Veteran's Park. Learn more here.
Planners Seek Feedback on Draft Proposal of Separated Bike Lane Network for White Flint at October 6 Meeting in Bethesda

The Montgomery County Planning Department will conclude its kick-off meetings for the Bicycle Master Plan on October 6 from 7 to 9 p.m.at Walter Johnson High School (6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD) RSVPs to attend the session are encouraged, but not required.

RSVP for the October 6 Bicycle Master Plan kickoff meeting.

This community event will focus on draft recommendations for a network of separated bike lanes in the White Flint Sector Plan area of North Bethesda. Separated bike lanes (or cycle tracks) create a low-stress environment for cyclists that can make bicycling a mainstream option because they provide physical separation from both traffic and pedestrians. Learn more here.
Draft Scope of Work for Rock Spring Master Plan Will Be Presented to Planning Board on October 8


On Thursday, October 8, the Montgomery County Planning Board members will review the Draft Scope of Work for the Rock Spring Master 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). Learn more here.
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.
WSSC Project Will Close a Parking Lot on Sligo Creek Parkway

A WSSC Project will require the parking lot on Sligo Creek Parkway south of Wayne Avenue to be closed for 6-9 months.  For more info on WSSC projects in the park, 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:
  • NEW: Rock Creek Trail work continues on the trail in the Rock Creek Regional Park area around Baltimore Road and Norbeck Road begins this October. Project will require partial closure of trail for bridge work, stream work and the repaving of the trail leading to bridge. A detour will be posted when trail repaving begins. Watch for detour signs and use caution around work areas.
  • Capital Crescent Trail tree work continues south of Dorset Avenue to the DC Line with trail access intermittently 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.
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 on October 19
 
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.
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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