SILVER SPRING, MD—Yesterday the Montgomery County Planning Board took action on the Legacy Open Space nominations presented to them by Department of Parks program managers on November 15.
“The Legacy Open Space designation allows us to look at multiple avenues for protecting these special cases of extraordinary lands,” said Department of Parks Legacy Open Space Program Manager Brenda Sandberg. “In our recommendations to the Planning Board, we offer protection techniques which might include acquiring these sites for parkland, or pursuing easements or through the development process or partnerships.”
Department of Parks Legacy Open Space (LOS) program managers brought back 7 of the 9 total properties initially presented in November to the Planning Board yesterday, with modified recommendations based on the community input received on each. A summary of Thursday’s Board action for each of these properties follows:
- Beverly Property, Broad Run Watershed (Poolesville), recommended for LOS designation—Parks staff revised its initial recommendation to include pursuing an overlay easement as an added protection technique to protect the property’s forested land. The Board approved the staff’s revised recommendation.
- Wild Acres/Grosvenor Mansion (Bethesda), recommended for LOS designation—Parks staff revised its initial recommendation to clarify an emphasis on protecting the site through a new special exception use or development plan, but not to affect the currently approved special exception. The Board approved the staff’s revised recommendation.
- Hickey and Offut (Bethesda), recommended for LOS designation—Parks staff did not revise its initial recommendation. Protection of this site is an opportunity to increase the size of existing county and federal forested area associated with Rock Creek Park. The Board approved the staff’s recommendation.
- Ireland Drive/National Park Seminary Carriage Trails (Silver Spring), recommended for LOS designation—Parks staff revised its initial recommendation to include considering the option of an easement from the Army. Staff intends to bring this property back to the Planning Board as the department continues to work with the US Army on the transfer or easements associated with this property and the issue of funding for restoring and maintaining this resource. The Board approved the staff’s revised recommendation.
- Montgomery College of Art and Design (Wheaton), recommended for LOS designation—Parks staff did not revise its initial recommendation noting this site could be used for passive and active recreation. The Board rejected the staff’s recommendation.
- Selden Island/Walker Village Site (Poolesville), recommended for rejection by parks staff for LOS designation—Parks staff did not revise its initial recommendation suggesting instead to develop partnerships for archeological preservation. The Board rejected the staff’s recommendation and added the site to LOS, recommending staff pursue protective archaeological easements on the island.
- Edson Lane Forest (Bethesda), recommended for rejection by parks staff for LOS designation—Parks staff did not revise its initial recommendation noting the quality characteristics of the site were not there to warrant the designation. The Board approved the staff’s recommendation.
After yesterday’s Planning Board action, the Beverly Property, Wild Acres/Grosvenor Mansion, Hickey and Offut, Ireland Drive/National Park Seminary Carriage Trails and Selden Island/Walker Village Site join the Legacy Open Space program.
“Some of these decisions are tough,” added Sandberg. “For instance, the Edson Lane Forest property was a very difficult one; protecting urban forest anywhere you can is important, but Edson Lane just didn’t have that additional characteristic needed for Legacy designation, to kick it up to the ‘best of the best.’”
The other two properties initially recommended—the Milton Property and 4H Council Headquarters—were or will be heard at another time. The Planning Board approved LOS designation of the Milton Property on December 20 and the 4H Council Headquarters property will be heard separately at a future date.
For more on the Montgomery County Department of Parks’ Legacy Open Space Program, please visit www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866