March 18, 2015
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, March 24. View the full agenda for that meeting here.
Registration Opens for Makeover Montgomery 3 Conference Scheduled for May 4 through May 6

The Montgomery County Planning Department has opened registration for its conference, Makeover Montgomery 3: Balancing Change in America's Suburbs, to be held from Wednesday, May 4 through Friday, May 6, 2016 in College Park and Silver Spring, Md.

The Makeover Montgomery 3 conference is being organized through a partnership between the Montgomery County Planning Department and the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland. The 2016 event follows similar conferences held in 2011 and 2014 by the Planning Department and University of Maryland.

Register now for the Makeover Montgomery 3 Conference. Learn more here.
NOTICE: Carroll Ave Bridge Over Sligo Creek and Sligo Creek Parkway To Be Closed

Major rehabilitation of the MD 195 (Carroll Avenue) Bridge over Sligo Creek and Sligo Creek Parkway is underway. The bridge will be closed and traffic detoured.  Caution should be exercised around work areas and vehicles should share roadways with bicyclists. For more info.
The Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center Open House

Interested in picking up a tennis racket? The Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, March 19 (5-7p). GAMES | GIVEAWAYS | LIGHT REFRESHMENTS! Register for classes like Cardio Tennis or Parent & Child Tennis in a climate controlled facility.  If you are thinking about cool summer fun, this is an open house you can't miss! Register for summer programs now. 
History in the Parks Season Opening Celebrations

April 1-3 & 9. Free.
Montgomery Parks invites you to join in celebrating the 2016 History in the Parks season! Enjoy historic tours, children's programming and more at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, the Underground Railroad Experience Trail, Josiah Henson Park, Kingsley Schoolhouse and Oakley Cabin. We hope these events serve as an introduction to a life-long lesson in culture, community, and connections right here in Montgomery County. Visit HistoryintheParks.org for exact times and additional details. 
First Planning Board Work Session for Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan Will Be Held on March 24

The Montgomery County Planning Board will hold its first work session on the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan at its headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Public testimony at the session will be allowed at the discretion of Planning Board Chair Casey Andersonls.

The Public Hearing Draft of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan 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. Learn more here.
Celebrate Earth Month with Montgomery Parks!

Looking for a way to give back during Earth Month? Check out Montgomery Parks' special Earth Month volunteer events happening throughout the month of April!  Earth Month volunteer opportunities will include Stream & Park Cleanups, Natural Surface Trail Work, and Weed Warrior Projects among others. Most volunteer opportunities are SSL-hour approved. Visit www.MontgomeryParks.org/EarthMonth to find Earth Month volunteer opportunities along with information on how to participate.
Montgomery Parks' Arbor Day Poster Contest!

Montgomery Parks is pleased to invite your 3rd-5th grade students to participate in a poster contest for a chance to host an Arbor Day Celebration at your school in April!

Entries must be received by March 25th. The winning submission will be chosen on March 31, 2016 and the winning school will be notified by April 04, 2016. For official rules and submission guidelines go to www.montgomeryparks.org/trees.
Applications Due on April 1 for Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credits

The Montgomery County Planning Department is accepting applications from county property owners seeking a financial reward for faithfully restoring the exteriors of their historic structures. To be eligible for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit, the property must be listed in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation.

Owners must file an application as well as documentation of the repairs that were done with the historic preservation staff of the Planning Department by Friday, April 1, 2016. The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission will then evaluate the applications to determine whether the scope of work meets the eligibility requirements for the program. The work must have been completed no later than December 31, 2015.

View a short video about the Historic Tax Credit program offered by the Montgomery County Planning Department Historic Preservation Office. Download the application here. Learn more here.
Green Matters Symposium: A Garden Gateway at Brookside Gardens

Interested in environmentally friendly landscapes? Want an up-close look at what it takes to plan, design and build landscapes that are both beautiful and benefit the environment? Join us on Friday, April 8th from 8:30AM - 4:00 PM at Brookside Gardens for the 13th Annual Green Matters Symposium.  We are bringing together some of the top landscape and public garden professionals to share ideas about how to create attainable, sustainable landscapes. Early bird registration is $85 before March 1; registration increases to $99 per person after that date. To register, enter Course #14881 here. To learn more about the conference, click here.
Meadowside Nature Center Exhibit to be Renovated 

Work affecting access to the Legacy of the Land Exhibit at Meadowside Nature Center has been completed and the exhibit reopened. Expansion improvements around the area for will continue. For additional information, please click here.
Spring Registration Open

Registration for Montgomery Parks' spring programs is now open! Visit our Community Corner to sign up for nature and garden programs, ice skating, tennis and more! 
Parks Opens Four New Athletic Fields 

The athletic fields at Northwest Branch Recreational Park will be open this spring and available to permit. There are four fields which must be permitted for use:  three full size rectangles and one adult size baseball, as well as one smaller practice rectangle. For more information on permitting these fields please click here or call 240-777-2716.
Evans Parkway and Germantown Town Center Win Awards

Montgomery Parks is proud to be recognized for their efforts in design and development for two of our newest parks: Evans Parkway Neighborhood Park and Germantown Town Center Urban Park. Read more
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.
Find an Athletic Field 

Did you know Montgomery Parks maintains close to 300 fields for public games, practices and walk-on play? Click here to find out more about our park athletic fields.
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:
 
Trail Work in Parks
 
Bikers and Runners should use caution as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks:
  • NOTICE: Parklawn Local Park - Trail improvements to the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail are scheduled to begin this winter at Veirs Mill Road connector onto trail.
  • NEW: Wheaton Regional Park - Pine Lake trail work will start this winter season to improve access and storm water management. Watch for detours posted around designated work areas.
  • Work is scheduled over the next few weeks along the Capital Crescent Trail at the DC Line. Trail users should use caution around work zones.
  • 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.
  • Little Bennett Regional Park The bridge on the Beaver Valley Trail is impassible due to recent flooding. The bridge will not be accessible until repairs can be made.
For more information on Montgomery Parks Trails please visit www.MontgomeryTrails.org.
Spring Festivals & Events in Montgomery Parks

Enjoy spring festivals and events in Montgomery Parks! Come enjoy open houses at our many facilities, special skates at our ice rinks, Earth Day events and volunteer opportunities around our parks, and events and festivals at our four nature centers and Brookside Gardens. Visit www.MontgomeryParks.org/festivals for upcoming events and information.
View Montgomery Parks Program GUIDES Online
 
Click here to see all the various programs, classes and events Montgomery Parks has to offer you and your family. Browse the eGuide from your computer or cell via at Montgomery Parks eGuides.

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