SILVER SPRING, MD—Park planners will meet with several interested community groups this week about the status and use of 31 small and medium-sized park recreation buildings (activity centers) in the county’s parks system. Several of these buildings were in bad shape and underused and proposals have been developed to address this.
“We’ve been hearing concerns from community members across the county,” said Department of Parks Senior Park Planner Mark Wallis, “and are eager to meet with these concerned groups individually to come up with some viable solutions that both balance public need and the reality of the condition of the buildings.”
The Department of Parks has meetings this week scheduled with:
– Clarksburg Civic Association, Monday, September 24, 8:15 pm, 23201 Stringtown Road, Clarksburg
– Garrett Park Elementary School, Tuesday, September 25, 7:00 pm, 4810 Oxford Street, Garrett Park
– Hillandale Civic Association, Wednesday, September 26, 7:30 pm, 10501 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring
In late June, the Department of Parks briefed the Montgomery County Planning Board on its draft proposal for managing the 31 park recreation buildings within the parks system based on an assessment of the buildings’ current condition, level of use and maintenance requirements. These aging structures are often used for birthday parties, community events and small classes and changes to their management have raised community concerns.
“Briefing the Planning Board on our preliminary ideas for these buildings before collecting community input has been the greatest lesson learned,” added Wallis. “But the community should know that no final decisions have been made yet on these buildings.”
To better facilitate public dialogue on the future of the park recreation buildings, the Department of Parks has added additional information on this project to its website at www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org. From this site, the Department of Parks briefing memo from the June 28 Planning Board meeting is posted, more information on some of the buildings is available and a calendar of the public meetings scheduled on this topic is posted, which the department will update regularly.
In addition, the department has pushed back its anticipated date to take final recommendations back to the Planning Board, from the originally anticipated November timeframe to February 2008 or later to allow for more community discussion on this project.
“We will take whatever time is required to make sure we come up with the right conclusions regarding these valued community assets,” said Parks Director Mary Bradford.
The Department of Parks will also host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 16 at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue to share its preliminary findings regarding the buildings and receive community input. On January 15, the department will host a community briefing in the auditorium at the Montgomery Regional Office building, 8787 Georgia Avenue, to share with the public what will eventually be presented to the Planning Board.
For more on this project, please visit www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866