January 29, 2015
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, February 4. View the full agenda for that meeting here.
Winter Fun!

Montgomery Parks Names Best Hills for Sledding in Parks and Launches Super Snowman-Making Contest! Click here for additional Info.
Planning Department Announces Calendar of February 2016 Events

The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its February 2016 calendar of community meetings, work session and public events. 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. 
Work Session on Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan Will Be Held on February 4 to Address South Bethesda District

The Montgomery County Planning Board will hold a work session for the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan on Thursday, February 4 at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD). Discussion will focus on zoning and building heights for the South Bethesda District, a residential area of garden apartments, townhouses and single-family homes situated to either side of Bradley Boulevard. For details about the work session, consult the Planning Board Agenda.

The next work session is scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 2016. Consult the Planning Board Agenda webpage two weeks prior to this work session to find out more specifics about the session. Following the work sessions, the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan will be revised at the direction of the Planning Board and reviewed by the Board before being sent to the County Council later this year.

Learn more about the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan.
February is Maple Sugaring Month at Brookside Nature Center

Every Saturday and Sunday you'll have an opportunity to experience an American tradition: maple sugaring! Join us on Saturdays in February at 10am, 1pm and 3pm or Sundays in February at 1pm & 3pm and watch the whole maple sugaring process from start to finish. See sap drip from trees and taste it. Watch us boil it down into sweet maple syrup, then sample a tasty treat. Join in the fun and activities and learn something new at this family-friendly program! Space is limited so pre-registration is encouraged. $6/person. Register here.  
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.
Planning Department Encourages Community to Testify on the Public Hearing Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan

The Montgomery County Planning Department invites the Greater Lyttonsville community to sign up to testify at the February 11 Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan Public Hearing at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD).

The Public Hearing Draft is available for review on the Planning Department's website. This posting follows the Montgomery County Planning Board's approval of the Working Draft as the Public Hearing Draft on Thursday, December 17, 2015.

The Public Hearing Draft reflects changes in response to issues that were raised by the Lyttonsville community over district boundaries and language in the Plan Draft.


View the Staff Report for the December 17 Planning Board presentation, including an errata sheet.

Learn more here. 
Celebrate Waterfowl at Black Hill Visitor Center on February 13

Bring the whole family for a day filled with free activities, demonstrations, and exhibits to celebrate the wondrous water birds that call Little Seneca Lake home during the winter. Stop by the Waterfowl Festival at Black Hill Visitor Center on Saturday, February 13 from Noon - 4:00 p.m. Try your hand at carving a decoy. Make a bird bonnet to look like a hooded merganser or a bufflehead. Join guided birding excursions to catch a glimpse of marine ducks, swans and maybe even the Black Hill eagles! For more info, click here.
Montgomery Planning Winter Speaker Series Event on February 16 Will Focus on Suburban Bicycle Planning

The Montgomery County Planning Department is holding the second session of its three-part Winter Speaker Series on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. This free event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring) to address recent approaches to suburban bicycle planning.

Transportation planner Jennifer Toole, president of the Silver Spring-based Toole Design Group, will discuss local examples as well as case studies from other countries. She will highlight bicycling culture in the Netherlands, where separated bike lanes are commonplace in suburban and rural areas, as well as in cities. Learn more here.
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.
Accessibility Improvements Continue

UPDATE: Accessibility Improvement work is scheduled at Olney Manor Recreational Park, Potomac Community Neighborhood Park,Pleasant View Local Park, Damascus Recreational Park, and Ayrlawn Local Park. For more information on these and other accessibility projects please visit: Accessibility Information for Montgomery Parks webpage.
Winter Festivals in Montgomery Parks 

Check out www.MontgomeryParks.org/festivals for a list of major events happening in late November through February.
Public Input Needed on Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan Update

Montgomery Parks is updating the Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan and is soliciting input from the public. To find out more about the plan and how you can share your ideas please visit www.ParkPlanning.org. 
Park Projects:
 
  • Quince Orchard Valley Neighborhood Park:  WSSC work is scheduled to begin this January as part of the WSSC Sewer Repair, Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. Work will also include the removal of the tennis court and hard surface path and allow reforestation to the area. Please use caution around work areas.
  • Falls Road Local Park: The parking lot entrance at Falls Road Local Park will be intermittently closed through need date as scheduled construction continues to improve traffic patterns and ADA access. Alternate parking will be limited to Falls Chapel Way during closure. Click here for more information on the park project.
  • Olney Family Neighborhood Park: Work is underway to improve access to hard surface trails from Treadway Road. The project is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2016.
  • Kemp Mill Urban Park: The park is closed for renovations to improve overall access, update the pond and expand the playground. Renovations are expected to be completed by spring 2017.
  • Sligo Creek Parkway: The parking lot on Sligo Creek Parkway south of Wayne Avenue is closed through the spring of 2016 for WSSC work. 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 in Silver Spring.  Parts of the park will be inaccessible to the public as work includes improved storm water management and better access to park. Click here for more info.
  • Waters Landing Local Park: The playground is closed while renovations are underway. Work will include storm water management and improved access to park facilities. 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.
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. 
  • Black Hill Trail Connector Project is underway to build a new shared-use natural surface six-mile trail along the western side of Little Seneca Lake in Black Hill Regional Park. Numerous construction phases will take place over the course of the next year until the trail is complete.
  • The pedestrian bridge at the Ten Mile Creek tributary to Little Seneca Lake in Black Hill Regional Park will be closed until spring 2016.
  • Work continues on the Rock Creek trail in Rock Creek Regional Park around Baltimore Road and Norbeck Road. Trails will be partially closed 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 Trail Signs are being installed to improve wayfinding on the trail and adjacent neighborhood trail connectors leading to main trail of the 14 mile Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail.
For more information on Montgomery Parks Trails please visit www.MontgomeryTrails.org.
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.
Watch: 2016 Winter Speakers Series Session 1: Putting the Transition Back in Transit
 
Nat Bottigheimer of Fehr & Peers DC stopped by the Montgomery County Planning Department to tell us what it means to put the transition back in transit. Watch the full recap here.
Watch: The Planning Board Tour of Kensington
 
The Montgomery County Planning Board recently toured the Town of Kensington to see how some of their approvals have come to life. Watch it here.
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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