The Bethesda Downtown Plan recommends new and enhanced parks and open spaces in downtown Bethesda, including new civic greens at Veteran’s Park, Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market, and the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), and new urban parks, neighborhood greens, pathways and gateways to major trail systems.
The overarching parks and open space goals of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan are to:
- Support the centers with civic gathering spaces.
- Provide linkages and signature gateways to the major trail systems.
- Create livable communities and appropriate transitions by greening and buffering the edges.
- Create green neighborhood parks.
- Add to the existing park, trail, and open space system.
Implementation of the Plan’s parks and open space recommendations will take place over time and will be affected by many factors including the timing and scope of development projects, availability of property for acquisition, available funding, potential partnerships, and staff capacity, among others.
Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Space Recommendations Status
A. Support centers of activity with civic gathering spaces by providing civic greens
| Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Spaces | Park Status: Existing Park (expansion and/or improvements) or New Park | Description (Bethesda Downton Plan Recommendation) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.1. Veteran’s Park Civic Green | Existing Park Recommended Expansion | Expand current park into a full Civic Green to serve as flexible green community open space. Provide space for casual, informal use as well as platform for community events and programming. | Additional property acquisitions will be necessary to create the recommended expansion of Veteran’s Park Civic Green. Expansion of the existing open space is the preferred location and other previously acquired properties will be used as assets to pursue this option. |
| A.2. Farm Women’s Market Civic Green | New Park | Green open space surrounding the historic market as a destination and local gathering spot that provides a place for Market visitors to eat and relax. It should connect to the Eastern Greenway and Elm Street Park. | Will be created as a privately-owned public space (POPS) as part of a collaborative development that will revitalize the market building and its grounds. |
| A.3. Capital Crescent Civic Green | New Park | Civic Green for the Bethesda Row District that can support community events and programming, and generally provide a meeting spot for visitors to the area. It will also serve as a gateway to the Capital Crescent Trail. | Property for this Civic Green was purchased in December 2017. The site is currently utilized for Purple Line construction. Facility Planning will begin towards the end of Purple Line construction. Design and construction will be funded using PIP funds. |
B. Provide linkages and signature gateways to the major trail systems
| Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Spaces | Park Status: Existing Park (expansion and/or improvements) or New Park | Description (Bethesda Downton Plan Recommendation) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.1. North Bethesda Trail Urban Greenway | New Park | A green and active linear park connection between the National Institutes of Health and Woodmont Triangle that is wide enough for stream improvements, environmental interpretation and play elements. | The 2019 Battery District Preliminary Plan includes the recommended greenway. Design details will be determined at Site Plan and the greenway will be constructed and provided as a POPS when this phase of the project is completed. |
| B.2. Gateway into Norwood Local Park | New Park | A welcoming green entrance to the park that provides improved connection the neighborhood to the north. | The 4702 Chevy Chase Drive project will provide a connection to the park via Nottingham Drive. Additional connections will be provided during future development projects. |
| B.3. Eastern Capital Crescent Urban Greenway | New Park | Create active recreational gateway into the Bethesda CBD along the Capital Crescent Trail. | Two properties have been acquired and planning for interim park uses is underway. One additional property has been acquired by MTA for Purple Line construction and will be later transferred to Montgomery Parks. |
| B.4. Arlington South Gateway Plaza | New Park | A community gathering space with shade and seating linking the Arlington South District to the CCT that draws people in with a focal feature and accommodates both pedestrians and bicyclists. | Will be provided when the site redevelops, likely as a POPS. |
C. Create green neighborhood parks
| Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Spaces | Park Status: Existing Park (expansion and/or improvements) or New Park | Description (Bethesda Downton Plan Recommendation) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.1. Old Georgetown Road Neighborhood Green | New Park | A heavily landscaped, shady, green living room. This park will be a signature moment in the Bethesda landscape and act as wayfinding and placemaking space. | Site was redeveloped with a single-story bank in 2016. |
| C.2. Wellington Drive Neighborhood Green | New Park | At Bradley Boulevard and Strathmore Street, provide in-demand, walk-to amenities such as community open space, trees, and nature-based play area for the residents immediately surrounding this park, and help buffer the single-family homes from redevelopment along Bradley Blvd. | Will be provided when the site redevelops. |
| C.3. South Bethesda Public Plaza | New Park | Small shaded open space at corner of Bradley Boulevard as it becomes densely developed. | Will be provided as a POPS when the site redevelops. |
| C.4. Bethesda-Chevy Chase East Neighborhood Green | New Park | Create community open space, seating, trees, and art or nature-based play area to serve future development between Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Pearl Street, and East-West Highway. | Will be created through redevelopment projects and land purchases as necessary in this area of the Pearl District. The Sketch Plan approval for the 4405 E-W Hwy project includes a requirement to make a proportional financial contribution to the future park. |
| C.5.a. Eastern Greenway Neighborhood Greens, North End | New Parks | Create green space along west side of Tilbury Street to provide buffering of the eastern edge of the CBD and a variety of walk-to recreational amenities. In North End, create two additional 0.5-acre parks plus greenways to connect to Chase and Cheltenham Parks between Maple Avenue and Cheltenham Drive. | Most of the new northern section of the Eastern Greenway will be provided via development projects – the stretch at 8001 will be a POPS per the approved Sketch & Preliminary Plans, and the redevelopment of Parking Lots 25 & 44 (development applications are under review for both projects) will provide new parkland. This will provide a continuous Greenway from Chase Ave to Maple Ave. |
| C.5.b. Eastern Greenway Neighborhood Greens, South End | New Parks | Destinations and pockets of larger green space along the eastern edge of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan boundary and provide buffers to the Town of Chevy Chase. | Conversion of most of Parking Lots 10 & 24 to parkland will occur as part of public-private partnership redevelopment of the lots and adjacent properties. These new parks will provide a continuous Greenway from the Capital Crescent Trail & Purple line to Walsh St. |
| C.6. Western Edge Neighborhood Greens Bethesda Elementary School Expansion | Existing School Fields Expansion | Pockets of larger green space along the western edge of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan boundary that will provide small-scale neighborhood recreational opportunities and act as green buffers for the community. | This is an expansion of the Bethesda ES site and would most likely be an acquisition by MCPS. MCPS has owned the western lot since 1973. |
| C.6. Western Edge Neighborhood Greens Caroline Freeland Urban Park Expansion | Existing Park Recommended Expansion | Pockets of larger green space along the western edge of the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan boundary that will provide small-scale neighborhood recreational opportunities and act as green buffers for the community. | Property could be acquired to expand the existing park if it becomes available. |
D. Add to Existing Parks, Open Spaces, and Trails
| Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Spaces | Park Status: Existing Park (expansion and/or improvements) or New Park | Description (Bethesda Downton Plan Recommendation) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.1. Battery Lane Neighborhood Green Expansion | Existing Park Recommended Expansion. | Build on the success of the existing site as a buffer park that provides needed recreational amenities for visitors and residents. Expansion of the park will provide room for needed walk to facilities. | The single-family home properties will be acquired if they become available. Portions of the Glenbrook Rd ROW and adjacent property relying on the ROW for access will be pursued during development review should that property redevelop. |
| D.2. Elm Street Neighborhood Green Improvements | Existing Park Improvements. | Add new and improved recreational opportunities and provide better access to the Capital Crescent Trail from the Bethesda Downtown Plan area and the surrounding residential communities. | Improvements will occur in conjunction with the CCT surface route connection through the park. Design is underway in the spring of 2024. |
Other Parks in the BDP Area Not Addressed in the BDP Recommendations
| Bethesda Downtown Plan Parks and Open Spaces | Park Status: Existing Park (expansion and/or improvements) or New Park | Description (Bethesda Downton Plan Recommendation) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Crescent Trail | Existing Park Improvements | New and/or enhanced trail connections to and from existing and new parks. | New CCT plaza at the corner of Ourisman Honda dealership was constructed in 2019. |
| Cheltenham Drive Urban Park | Existing Park Improvements | No recommendation | 4725 Cheltenham Drive development project recently contributed $25,000 for future improvements to Cheltenham Drive UP. |
| Chase Ave Urban Park | Existing Park Improvements | No recommendation | The park will be renovated to connect to the new portion of the Eastern Greenway provided by the Lot 44 development as part of that project. |
| Caroline Freeland Urban Park | Existing Park Improvements | No recommendation | The park is currently undergoing improvements and reopening is scheduled for late 2024. |
| Battery Lane Urban Park | Existing Park Improvements | No recommendation. | The playground and other park amenities were improved in 2019. Additional accessibility improvements were completed in early 2022. |
Park Impact Payment (PIP) Funds
The implementation of these new parks and open spaces will be supported through a funding mechanism tied to new development called the Park Impact Payment (PIP). Any new development in Downtown Bethesda that is allocated Bethesda Overlay Zone (BOZ) Density by the Planning Board is required to make a PIP of $12.49 (effective July 1, 2023 and updated every odd numbered year) per square foot on the gross floor area of the approved BOZ Density, except for the gross floor area allocated for Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDU) and except for projects that are providing 25% or more MPDUs.
Approved and Collected PIP Funds
Submitted PIPs are placed in the Bethesda Park Impact Payment project account within the Commission’s Capital Improvement Program for appropriation and expenditure. PIP funds may only be used for acquisition of parkland and for planning, design and construction of new park facilities and new parks within the Bethesda Downtown Plan Area.
Information about approved and pending PIPs can be found on the Bethesda Downtown Tracking and Monitoring dashboard below.
Expenditure of PIP Funds
To date, PIP funds have been allocated for the following projects:
- 2020-2022: $9,739,373.63 – Goldberg Property Acquisition: these properties were acquired as assets to help pursue the Plan’s goals and vision for the Veteran’s Park Civic Green.
- 2022: $2,500,000- Bethesda Lots 10 & 24 Park: these funds were transferred to a new project account to help fund new parks on Parking Lots 10 & 24 to help fulfill the Plan’s goals and vision for the Eastern Greenway Neighborhood Greens, South End as part of public-private partnership development effort. The Farm Women’s Market Civic Green will also be delivered by the same development as a Privately Owned Public Space.
- 2023: $13,000- Parkland Acquisition Appraisals: appraisals for potential parkland acquisitions