The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation are inviting Residents and park patrons to participate in a public forum on the Public Hearing Draft of the 2005 Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), on Wednesday September 28, 2005, 7-9 p.m., in the UpCounty Government Center, 12900 Middlebrook Rd. Germantown, MD 20874. Staff members are seeking ideas from the public on the future needs for recreation facilities, community recreation centers, senior centers, aquatic facilities, natural resource-based recreation, stewardship of natural and cultural resources and agricultural preservation. To encourage dialogue among participants and staff, information stations on each of these subjects and a Public Forum Summary Document will be available.
At the public forum, staff will begin with an overview of the upcoming park and recreation planning process, including two major documents that will be produced over the next two years by the Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning, in conjunction with the Recreation Department (MCRD). Participants will visit each station to give their opinions on future needs. At the end of the evening, station moderators will summarize the comments received for the audience.
A Staff Draft of the Plan is currently available, and the Public Hearing Draft will be presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board on September 15, 2005. The Public Hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday October 27, at 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. After receiving feedback at the forum and the public hearing, staff will conduct a worksession with the Planning Board in December to discuss any proposed changes to the Plan before sending it to the Maryland Department of Planning, by December 30, 2005, as required for Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) grant funding.
For more information, those interested may check www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org, or contact M-NCPPC park planner Tanya Schmieler, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-650-4392 or Tanya.Schmieler@mncppc-mc.org.