SILVER SPRING, MD — The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission invites public testimony on the proposed 2005 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), Thursday, October 27. Copies of the proposed plan are available online.
“Public input helps guide the decisions made by the Planning Board,” said Chairman Derick P. Berlage.
In order for the county to qualify for state Open Space funding, the Park and Planning Commission must adopt LPPRP on a periodic basis. Following the hearing, staff will review public input and recommend changes to the proposed plan for the Planning Board’s deliberations in early December. By the end of the year, the Planning Board will send its final plan to send to the state.
The proposed plan addresses four key areas:
- Recreation, Parks and Open Space which discusses planning for parks, open space,recreation facilities, and parkland acquisition, including quantitative analysis of needs for future facilities through the year 2020
- Agricultural Land Preservation which provides a description of the Agricultural Preservation Programs and a summary of needed new initiatives
- Natural Resource Conservation which discusses current goals and implementation programs for conservation of natural resource lands and a summary of needed improvements, and
- Cultural Resource Conservation which includes information on historic and archaeological resources and needed improvements.
The public record will remain open until Thursday, November 10, 2005. Written comments may be addressed to Derick P. Berlage, Chairman, Montgomery County Planning Board, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or e-mail MCP-Chairman@mncppc-mc.org.
Those interested in signing up to testify in advance may call 301-495-4600.