May 13, 2016
 
Planning Board Agenda
Attend or watch the Montgomery County Planning Board Thursday, May 19. View the full agenda for that meeting here.
Makeover Montgomery 3 Conference at Silver Spring Civic Building Concludes After Three Days of Cutting-Edge Content

The Montgomery County Planning Department closed out the Makeover Montgomery 3: Balancing Change in America's Suburbs Conference on Friday, May 6, 2016. The three-day conference was host to more than 300 attendees who heard from more than 90 speakers across three topics: the sharing economy, beyond transit-oriented development, and equity and opportunity in the suburbs. Attendees heard presentations focused on innovations and new policy tools and strategies that can help enhance the suburbs, making them more exciting, equitable and attractive.

The conference, in partnership with the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland, began on Wednesday, May 4 at the University of Maryland's School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning with a keynote address from Karen Chapple. Chapple, a professor of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley, discussed strategies for equitable smart growth. Learn more here.

The video recap of the conference can be seen here.
Planning Department Announces Calendar of May 2016 Events

The Montgomery County Planning Department is pleased to announce its May 2016 calendar of community meetings, work sessions  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. See the full list here.
Ready for Some Summer Fun?

Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation! Registration for summer camps is open now, and registration for summer activities begins May 16 at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Visit ActiveMONTGOMERY.org to learn more.

Don't forget to reserve community rooms, picnic shelters, park activity buildings, campsites, mooring sites, meeting rooms, social halls, train station party rooms, and more through while you are there!

Montgomery County Planning Department Launches 2016 Design Excellence Award Competition with Call for Entries from May 12 through July 21

The Montgomery County Planning Department seeks to recognize exceptional work in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design through its second annual Design Excellence Award competition. Developers, property owners and their design teams are invited to submit built projects that contribute to improving the quality of physical environments throughout the County.

The call for entries opens on Thursday, May 12, 2016 and closes on Thursday, July 21, 2016.  The selection of a winner will be made by an outside jury of accomplished professionals invited by the Planning Department. Learn more here.
Planning Department Participates in County Bicycle Events in May and June

The Montgomery County Planning Department is participating in several local cycling events this spring as staff continues to develop the Countywide Bicycle Master Plan.

On Saturday, May 7, the Bicycle Master Plan team will join Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson and community residents on a bike ride from 1 to 2 p.m. around Olney, Maryland. The bicycle tour, which will depart promptly at 1 p.m. from the Olney Library (3500 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, MD), is open to the public, but several on-road segments may be uncomfortable for less experienced riders. Consult the Montgomery County Bicycle Stress Map for details. Following the tour, a discussion about the Bicycle Master Plan will be held at the Olney Bagel Bakery (3490 Olney Laytonsville Road) from 2 to 3 p.m.

On Thursday, May 19, 2016, Planning Department staff will lead the Planning Board in a review of the proposed Metropolitan Branch Trail. The date for this Planning Board discussion is tentative and may be changed. When the date is confirmed, the session will be posted on the Planning Board website.

See the full list of events here.
Flocks and Farms
Sunday, May 22nd  1pm - 4pm

Take a break from the urban life and connect with nature at Black Hill Visitor Center's Flocks and Farms Festival.  On May 22nd from 1pm-4pm, enjoy FREE hands-on activities, games, lectures, crafts and fun with the entire family!  The Flocks and Farms Festival celebrates the conservation efforts of the Maryland Bluebird Society and Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve and learn how small changes make big impacts on our local wildlife.

For more info, click here.
Wings of Fancy 
April 27th - September 25th 10am-4pm daily 

Brookside Gardens is happy to announce the return of its premier Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit. The seasonal display features hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world. Families, students, nature lovers, and everyone in between can get an up close experience of these brilliant butterflies from North America, Costa Rica, Africa and Asia as they soar among colorful flowers. Visitors can learn about their amazing metamorphosis, the important role butterflies play in having healthy ecosystems, and how to ensure these beautiful insects thrive in our own gardens.

For more info, click here. 
Carroll Ave Bridge Over 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 through the duration of the one-year project. Work will intermittently close Sligo Creek Parkway daily. Traffic will be detoured and encouraged to seek alternate routes. Use caution around work areas and continue to share roadways. For more info.
Emerald Ash Borer in Montgomery Parks

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.
Rodolfo Machado of Boston Firm Honored with 2015 Design Excellence Award Will Present Work at Silver Spring Civic Building on May 25

The Montgomery County Planning Department held its first annual Design Excellence Award competition in 2015 and honored the top winner, the Silver Spring Civic Building, at a design celebration last October.

The architect who designed the building is now scheduled to talk about his work on this and other projects on Wednesday, May 25, 2016. The public presentation by Rodolfo Machado, FAIA, of the Boston-based architecture firm Machado Silvetti will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Spring Room of the award-winning Silver Spring Civic Building. Learn more here.
Kids Fishing Days
June 11 - Lake Needwood Boats - 8:30-10:30am
June 25 - Black Hill Boats - 8:30-10:30a 

Get in on the fishy fun! We'll teach the kids how to bait a hook with worms, put their line in the water, and pull those fish in! We'll also talk about the kinds of fish that swim in this lake, what they like to eat, and the best way to catch them. Free cane pole to the first 25 kids registered, and prizes for the boy or girl who catch the biggest, smallest, and greatest number of fish. Register via ActiveMontgomery.org.
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! 
Accessibility Improvements Continue

Accessibility Improvement work continues at Olney Manor Recreational Park, and Ayrlawn Local Park. Work is scheduled to begin at Ridge Road Recreational Park, Ken Gar Local Park, Clear Spring Local Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreational Park and Stratton Local Park this spring. 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.
Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan Update

Attention Wheaton Regional Park fans! Montgomery Parks is in the process of updating the Master Plan for this park. Be sure to tell us what you think! Public input is encouraged throughout the planning process.
Park Projects:
 
Trail Work in Parks
 
Bikers and Runners should use caution as improvements are taking place on several trails in Montgomery Parks:
  • NEW: Trail work, south of Wheaton Regional Park to replace a bridge connecting the Northwest Branch Trail to the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail is in progress. Trail users should exercise caution around work zone. 
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 Summer 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.
Watch: Plan-It Montgomery April 2016

In this edition of Plan-It Montgomery, we'll go on a tour of Kensington with the Planning Board, give you the highlights of our recent Winter Speakers Series and present the latest on the Bicycle Master Plan! Watch here.
Watch: Montgomery County Planning Board Tours King Farm and Crown Farm
 
The Montgomery County Planning Board recently went on a tour of King Farm and Crown Farm to learn how other jurisdictions are planning. Watch here.

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