Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, January 14. View the full agenda for that meeting here.
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 Planning Department Announces Calendar of January 2016 Events
The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its January 2016 calendar of community meetings and work sessions. These events offer opportunities for the Planning Board and Planning Department staff to discuss policies and engage with the public. 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.
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 Planning Department Releases Public Hearing Draft of Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan
The Public Hearing Draft reflects changes in response to issues that were raised by the Lyttonsville community over zoning classifications, district boundaries and language in the Plan Draft. Learn more here.
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 School-related Updates to Subdivision Staging Policy Will Be Discussed at Public Meeting on January 12
The Montgomery County Planning Department is now updating the Subdivision Staging Policy (formerly called Growth Policy) for review and approval by the County Council in 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.
On Tuesday, January 12, a community meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Planning Department auditorium (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) to discuss current school tests and school facility funding as they relate to the staging of subdivision development. Feedback from this event will help planners revise the sections related to schools in the current Subdivision Staging Policy. RSVPs are encouraged, but required. Learn more here.
RSVP for the January 12 Subdivision Staging Policy community meeting.
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 Planning Department Holds Meetings for Revising Recreation Guidelines
The Recreation Guidelines are used to inform and evaluate recreational amenities for private residential development and are now being revised in response to the County's demographic changes and need for more varied spaces. Planners are studying new types of recreation facilities for all age groups to improve the quality of developments, particularly in more urbanized areas of the County. Learn more here.
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Volunteer in Parks Next Weekend, 1/16 - 1/18 for MLK Jr. Day of Service
Volunteer in your parks and community in recognition of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service! Several volunteer events -including park and stream cleanups and the removal of non-native invasive plants - will take place in parks around the county. Events are open to the public and volunteers of all ages, including students who will be able to earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. MLK Day of Service volunteer events are scheduled at parks in various communities including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Aspen Hill, and White Oak. For more details on dates, times, locations and to sign up please visit www.MontgomeryParks.org/MLK or contact the Volunteer Services Office at 301-495-2504.
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Countywide Park Trails Plan Amendment Staff Draft Presentation at January 21 Planning Board Meeting
Montgomery Parks planners will give a staff draft presentation on the department's countywide trails plan amendment before the Planning Board on January 21. The public is welcome to attend or view the presentation online. For more details, please visit www.ParkPlanning.org.
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 Submission Date for Makeover Montgomery 3 Conference Proposals Extended to January 29
The gathering will be held from May 4 through May 6, 2016 in College Park and Silver Spring, MD. It will bring together planners, architects, developers, real estate professionals, economists, social scientists, ecologists and others to discuss cutting-edge ideas for transforming the suburbs.
The deadline for submitting presentation proposals online has been extended from January 8 to Friday, January 29, 2016 at 5 p.m. The selected presenters will take part in sessions to be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD) on May 5 and 6. Assistance with travel-related expenses may be available for out-of-town speakers. Learn more here.
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 Planning Department Announces its 2016 Winter Speaker Series
The Montgomery County Planning Department is sponsoring a three-part Winter Speaker Series in 2016 that will focus on transportation. Smart Moves: New Ideas about Bikes, Cars and Transit will address new approaches to cycling, transit, trails and other alternatives to cars. The ideas generated from the series will help inform the Department's current plans and policies, including the Bicycle Master Plan and Subdivision Staging Policy update.
The Winter Speakers Series is free and open to the public and planning professionals. Credit for certification maintenance (CM) for members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) attending the series is pending. Learn more here.
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 County Council Will Hold Public Hearing on the Westbard Sector Plan on January 26 in Rockville
The County Council has scheduled a public hearing on the Planning Board Draft of the Westbard Sector Plan for Tuesday, January 26, 2016 in the Council Hearing Room (100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD). Community members interested in testifying in person must sign up in advance online or call 240-777-7803 for more information.
The Planning Board previously held three work sessions on the Westbard Sector Plan to address schools, transportation, land uses, zoning, open spaces and historic and cultural resources. A fourth work session was held to finalize zoning language for specific properties in the Plan area. The Planning Board's revisions are reflected in the newest draft of the Sector Plan.
These changes affect some building heights, address the need for community-serving uses, increase affordable housing requirements in certain circumstances and add restrictions to commercial uses in areas abutting single-family residential neighborhoods.
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 On January 28, Planning Board Will Review Transit, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Activities in the Life Sciences Center Area
This Planning Board presentation follows a community meeting held on December 15, 2015 to discuss new transportation and recreational networks for people who walk and bike in the Life Sciences Center. Learn more here.
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 Emerald Ash Borer in Montgomery Parks
A non-native invasive beetle in Montgomery County is wreaking havoc on ash trees, many which are located in stream valleys on parkland. Learn more on the department's plan to address the issue here.
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Community Meeting on Long Branch-Wayne Local Park Renovations: February 9, 2016
Park staff will discuss ideas to renovate the Long Branch-Wayne Local Park at a community meeting on February 9 at 7 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend and provide input to improve the park. More details are available here.
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Accessibility Improvements Continue
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Winter Festivals in Montgomery Parks
Winter is right around the corner...and we have lots of festivals and events to help you enjoy the season! Check out www.MontgomeryParks.org/festivals for a list of major events happening in late November through February.
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Park Projects:
- Olney Family Neighborhood Park: Work to connect the community by improving access to the hard surface trails for residents entering from the Treadway side are under way. For more info, click here.
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Kemp Mill Urban Park: The Park will be closed this winter season as renovations begin on or about this December. The one year project will improve the overall park access including an updated water feature and expanded playground. Click here for more information.
- Sligo Creek Parkway: 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.
- Ellsworth Urban Park: Park improvements are underway to construct a new Dog Park. Parts of the park will be inaccessible to the public as work includes improved storm water management and better access to park. Tennis Courts and playground will not be affected. Click here for more info.
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Waters Landing Local Park: Playground renovations are underway requiring playground to be closed this fall. Work will include storm water management and improved access to park facilities. Public should use caution getting to tennis courts and picnic shelter as paths will be repaved. Click here for more info.
- Plumgar Local Park: Playground is closed as part of the Playground Renovation Program. Work is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2016.
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 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 work is underway to coordinate the removal of high risk trees and limbs including Emerald Ash Borer infested trees along the Rock Creek Hiker- Biker Trails on Beach Drive. For more information on tree inspection and maintenance, click here.
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Black Hill Trail Connector Project to build a new shared-use natural surface six-mile trail along the western side of Little Seneca Lake in Black Hill Regional Park is scheduled to begin this fall. Numerous construction phases will take place over the course of the next year until the trail is complete.
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Black Hill Trail work will close portions of the trail, including bridge work at the Ten Mile Creek tributary to Little Seneca Lake, for repairs. Work areas will close access to the trail head at the end of Ten Mile Creek Road, Osprey Heights Loop, Lake View Loop and Turkey Hill Loop. The Cool Spring Trail will remain open during the construction which is scheduled to be completed by the Spring 2016.
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Rock Creek Trail work continues on the trail in the Rock Creek Regional Park area around Baltimore Road and Norbeck Road. The project will require partial closure of the trail for bridge work, stream work and the repaving of the trail leading to bridge. A detour will be posted when trail repaving begins.
- 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.
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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.
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 View Montgomery Parks Program GUIDES Online
Click here to see all the various programs, classes and events Montgomery Parks has to offer to you and your family. Browse the eGuide from your computer or cell via at Montgomery Parks eGuides.
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 Watch: The Latest Edition of Plan-It Montgomery
Learn more about the Design Excellence Award, the latest master plans, and Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson's interview with a Montgomery County legend. All this and more in this edition of Plan-It Montgomery!
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 Watch: Montgomery Modern Initiative Promo
Montgomery Modern explores mid-century modern buildings and communities that reflect the optimistic spirit of the post-war era in Montgomery County, Maryland. Watch here.
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