Report highlights plans and projects completed over past six months, and outlines ongoing work and future initiatives
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Parks and Planning Departments, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, presented their Spring 2016 Semiannual Report to the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. The report, available online for review, summarizes key projects and plans from the past six months and work that will be completed over the next six months and beyond.
Review the Semiannual Report.
This progress report was submitted by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, who emphasized the need for effective planning strategies to attract residents and businesses to Montgomery County. He explained the three themes of the report – New Suburbanism, Engaging Communities and Strengthening Economic Competitiveness – as key to managing County growth and reaching goals for multi-modal transportation, community outreach, affordable housing and mixed-use development.
Planning Department’s Notable Achievements
The spring 2016 Semiannual Report highlights the following accomplishments, achieved by the Planning Department over the past six months:
-The Montgomery Village Master Plan was approved by Council, and Council will vote on the Westbard Plan late this month. Significant progress was also made on plans for Downtown Bethesda and Greater Lyttonsville.
-Work began on the plans for Rock Spring, White Flint 2 and the MARC Rail Communities of Boyds and Germantown.
-The Countywide Bicycle Master Plan was launched with community meetings and interactive maps to gain public feedback about current bike lanes, roads and levels of stress while riding.
-Collaboration with the Washington, DC chapter of the Urban Land Institute in December 2015 resulted in a Technical Assistance Panel review of the Rock Spring and Executive Boulevard areas in North Bethesda to develop strategies for revitalizing these office parks.
-New ideas about transportation and school capacity are influencing the update of the Subdivision Staging Policy (formerly the Growth Policy) to set rules for County infrastructure as a result of new developments. This policy will be reviewed by the Planning Board this summer.
-The Department’s first Design Excellence Award competition was launched last year, resulting in the October 2015 design celebration to honor the Silver Spring Civic Building with the top prize.
-County history was documented through a digital map of historically African American places and publication of a book tracing the development of mid-20th-century modern neighborhoods and buildings.
Planning Department’s Future Projects
The Spring 2016 Semiannual Report presents future plans and projects, including:
-Proposed plans for South Silver Spring, Montgomery Hills/Forest Glen, Veirs Mill corridor and Grosvenor Metrorail station area.
-Completing studies looking at evolving retail and employment trends in the County.
-Co-sponsoring the Makeover Montgomery 3 conference with the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth from May 4 through May 6, 2016.
-Holding the second annual Design Excellence Award competition this summer with another design celebration and awards presentation scheduled for October 20, 2016.
For information about the Parks Department and its projects, go to the Parks website.