Parks Department seeks public input to predict future needs and determine how to put the “right parks in the right places,” and steward natural and cultural resources.
SILVER SPRING, MD –Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is starting the process of preparing the 2017 Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan. Park planners will present an outline, schedule and outreach strategy for developing the PROS Plan at the July 28th Planning Board meeting. The presentation will be given in the morning at around 10 a.m.
Ideas and comments from the public are welcome throughout the planning process, and may be submitted online, by email to the project manager, Brooke.Farquhar@MontgomeryParks.org, at public meetings and by mail to Brooke Farquhar, Montgomery Parks, 9500 Brunett Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901.
“Parks, recreation, and open spaces are essential to the high quality of life for Montgomery County residents,” said Brooke Farquhar, Supervisor, Park and Trail Planning in the Park Planning and Stewardship Division of M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks Department. “One of the greatest challenges is balancing the need for recreational facilities with stewardship of environmental and cultural resources. The 2017 PROS Plan will help guide us in this challenge.”
The PROS Plan provides a framework for the next decade for how Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation Department will balance the need for open space and recreational facilities in a county that is becoming increasingly urbanized. The plan will address a variety of factors impacting parks and recreation including:
- Planning for urban parks, trails and athletic fields
- Methods to achieve social equity, health and conservation
The 2017 PROS Plan will build upon and expand the work of the 2012 PROS Plan, which introduced a new methodology and typology for urban park planning, service delivery strategies for 27 facility types, funding priorities for historic resources, and resource-based recreation.
About the 2017 Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan
The 2017 PROS Plan is required under State law, and completed in conformance with Maryland State Guidelines. The PROS Plan was last updated in July 2012. The schedule mandated by the State requires the 2017 Staff Draft PROS Plan to be submitted by December 31, 2016, with final completion by July 1, 2017.
About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 36,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 417 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
Accessibility
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission encourages the involvement and participation of all individuals in the community, including those with disabilities, in the planning and review processes. In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M?NCPPC) will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities. M?NCPPC works to make its facilities and materials accessible and to hold public meetings in locations that are, likewise, accessible. M?NCPPC will generally provide, upon request, appropriate aids and services and make reasonable modifications to policies and programs for qualified persons with disabilities (e.g., large print materials, listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.). For assistance with such requests, please contact the M-NCPPC Montgomery County Commissioners’ Office, at least a week in advance, at (301) 495-4600 or at mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org . Maryland residents can also use the free Maryland Relay Service for assistance with calls to or from hearing or speech-impaired persons; for information, go to www.mdrelay.org/ or call (866) 269-9006.
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