InfoShare Newsletter - July 22, 2011

[Howard Hartman]

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING BOARD | DEPARTMENT OF PARKS | PLANNING DEPARTMENT July 22, 2011
In This Issue Planning Board Schedule Planning Department Wins Award Rock Creek Trail Bridge Grand Opening White Flint Planning Area Open for Business Celebrate Parks and Recreation Month This Week on The Director's Blog Where We'll Be Friend the Planning Department Underground Railroad Guided Hikes Historic Property Locator Tool Volunteer Coordinator Opening Watch Us on Montgomery Plans Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park Explore the Outdoors with Nature Camps Brookside Gardens Summer Camp Programs New Technology in Old Buildings Volunteer in the Parks! New Tool Highlights Current Development Stay Informed About Plans in Your Area Party in the Parks Neighborhood Walk-Abouts Save Your Parks. Become...a Friend. Get Involved in Planning Find a Conservation Easement Easily Sign up for infoShare Quick Links    Planning Board Planning Department Department of Parks Parks Events Calendar Planning Events Calendar Park Police homepage Job Opportunities Watch us on County Cable Montgomery Channel 6: Parks Show and Montgomery Plans  Find archives of Info-Share and more at Connected Communities		Greetings! Below is a listing of upcoming events, programs and meetings as well as important announcements from The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Montgomery County.    Valerie Berton Communications Manager, Planning Department Abbi Irelan  Marketing & Public Affairs Manager, Department of Parks Planning Board Meetings    Thursday, July 28   The Planning Board will go on recess in August.   Visit the Agendas & Staff Reports web page for updates on Planning Board meetings and/or access to our meeting archives. Typically, meetings start at 9 a.m., Park and Planning Headquarters, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.   Everyone who speaks at a Planning Board meeting must register with the board assistant unless he or she has signed up in advance. Sign up online (typically available 10 days before a meeting) or register at the meeting by submitting our yellow form or a business card.    We now stream the Planning Board meetings online. Watch live on our website or view later from our archives. Interested in plans for your area? The Planning Board appreciates hearing from you. Browse our testifying tips. Planning Department Wins Award for Interactive Web Tools The Montgomery County Planning Department's technology team became the recipient of Esri International's Special Achievement in GIS Award , an honor that recognizes the team's work from among 300,000 organizations worldwide.
Rock Creek Trail Bridge Grand Opening Bring your bike or your running shoes and join Montgomery Parks, the Maryland State Highway Administration and Montgomery County Road Runners Club as we celebrate the Rock Creek Trail Pedestrian Bridge , Saturday, July 23, 2011, 10 a.m.- noon. We'll have refreshments, a ribbon cutting and a ride/run led by the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. Parking is available at Aspen Hill Local Park, 5013 Baltic Avenue, Aspen Hill, MD 20853.  Learn more about the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail . White Flint Planning Area Open for Business After the Planning Board and County Council earlier this month approved the required planning tools to begin accepting new development applications in White Flint, officials declared the area open for business at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning. With approval of the final tool - a transportation analysis program - White Flint is poised for a series of new development projects that will dramatically change the look, feel and function of the community. Celebrate Parks and Recreation Month July is National Parks and Recreation Month! We hope you've been celebrating all month long by visiting and playing in M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks!   Need some ideas for how to enjoy the last few days of July? Volunteer in the Parks. There are year-round opportunities for groups and individuals. Host a get-together with your friends or family at one of our Park Activity Buildings or Picnic Shelters. Visit a playground! Search for a park with a playground near you. Attend a community meeting on a park project. Check out the Community Corner to lend your voice. Hula hoop, jump rope, play jacks, blow bubbles or enjoy your childhood favorites in the park. Find a park near you. Practice your golf swing at the South Germantown Driving Range. Go Ape! at Rock Creek Regional Park. Watch a Bethesda Big Train game Shirley Povich Field in Cabin John Regional Park. Experience the Wings of Fancy Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit at Brookside Gardens. It's open daily from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Find more ideas on how to celebrate Parks and Recreation month, along with interesting question and answer sessions from Parks employees on the Parks and Recreation Month website. You can share what the parks are "all about" for you on www.facebook.com/MontgomeryParks and follow Montgomery Parks on Twitter, http://twitter.com/MontgomeryParks, for updates and ideas all month long. Live|work - A new idea for the burbs? Combining living space and home occupations can be an excellent solution to a ho-hum street frontages not yet part of a strong commercial market. Read about it on the Director's Blog. Where We'll Be 7 p.m. Monday, July 25 Kensington Town Hall 3710 Mitchell Street Kensington, MD 20895   Planners Michael Brown and Fred Boyd will present the Kensington design guidelines as part of the Town of Kensington Council meeting.    Friend the Planning Department Join our planners and help build a community that reflects 21st-century ideals. Friend us on Facebook to stay on top of our most pressing news. Underground Railroad Guided Hikes Free guided hikes Underground Railroad Guided Hikes each Saturday from 10am to 2pm - April through November at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park are given by talented volunteer 'conductors'. Hikers learn about techniques 'freedom seekers' used to elude trackers, find food and navigate their way North to freedom. The trail commemorates the involvement of Montgomery County residents in the Underground Railroad, and celebrates the Quaker heritage and traditions of Sandy Spring. Historic Property Locator Tool Are you a history buff or neighborhood preservationist? Find historic properties in Montgomery County using our new, user-friendly tool . Volunteer Coordinator Opening with Volunteer Maryland! Make a difference! Sharpen your leadership skills! Earn money for college! Submit your application to serve as a volunteer coordinator with Outdoor Maryland by August 12.   You'll help recruit volunteers to serve as interpretive guides for the historic Josiah Henson Special Park, Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park, and the Underground Railroad Experience Trail sites, which interpret the African American experience.   This is an 11 month commitment as a member of AmeriCorps (the "domestic Peace Corps"). The service year offers extensive training, a living allowance, and a post-service education award. This program is a partnership between M-NCPPC, Department of Parks, Montgomery County and Volunteer Maryland, a program of the Governor's Office. Watch Us on Montgomery Plans The latest episode of Montgomery Plans spotlights the incredible assets and opportunities in downtown Wheaton, a local computer recycling program, a tour of White Flint, and the latest big decisions made by the Planning Board.        Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park Free guided tours of Oakley Cabin are given by volunteers docents, each 2nd and 4th Saturday, April through November. A 19th-century African American historic site, Oakley Cabin was the center of an African American roadside community from emancipation well into the 20th century. The dwelling, inhabited until 1976, is now operated as a living history museum. Explore the Outdoors with Nature Camps Do you have a young nature lover in your family? Enroll them (and maybe yourself) in summer camp at one of our nature facilities: August 1-5: Nature Explorers August 8-12: Parent & Child Nature Art Camp Camps feature outdoor activities, field trips and games that will help teach children about the outdoor world and make summer vacation fly by! Brookside Gardens Summer Camp Programs Your children can spend summer days exploring beautifully landscaped gardens, learning how to train their eyes, seeking out natural patterns, shapes and color and creating works of art at Brookside Gardens! Camps feature outdoor activities, field trips and games that will help teach children about the outdoor world and make summer vacation fly by. August 1: Botanical Art Camp II  New Technology in Old Buildings Old buildings can adapt to new technology. Learn another reason why the greenest buildings are the ones already built on The Straight Line blog. Featured Parks Volunteer Opportunity Looking for volunteer opportunities? Find park and stream cleanups and other short- or long-term opportunities at www.ParksVolunteers.org.   This week's featured volunteer opportunity: Help greet guests and answer questions as at Nature Center Host at Black Hill Visitor Center . You'll help greet visitors, answer questions, take messages, check people in for programs and more - all while learning about the interesting nature programs and resources at Black Hill Regional Park.   Many of our opportunities are Student Service Learning approved, so have your kids check us out - or if you are interested in giving back and expanding your natural, botanical or cultural resources knowledge, consider volunteering too!  Questions? Ready to volunteer? Contact Lynn Vismara, or call 301-495-2504. User-Friendly Tool Highlights Current Development  Want to know more about development projects proposed near where you live or work? To stay abreast of Montgomery County development activity, visit our online Development Finder to learn details about building applications to be considered by the Planning Board. Stay Informed About Plans in Your Area The Planning Department's recent reorganization in geographic teams presents an opportunity to capture all of the planning news about an area. View our map of the three Montgomery County planning areas, and check your area page for upcoming events and Planning Board items. View Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3. Party in the Parks Summer is the perfect time to plan a party! Whether you're planning a birthday party, reunion, retirement celebration or other event, M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks offers unique Park Activity Buildings that put you near fun park activities and provide convenient indoor amenities.   We've recently added photos, floor plans and detailed information about each of the 18 unique Park Activity Buildings available for rent, making it even easier for you to imagine and plan your party in the parks. You can also compare each building's features and amenities side-by-side. What's better - you can check the availability and reserve the building of your choice 24/7 from our site! Planning Director Rollin Stanley Offers Neighborhood Walkabouts Invite County Planning Director Rollin Stanley and selected staff on a tour of your neighborhood as part of our new walkabouts exploring design, diversity, connections, and the environment in your part of Montgomery County. Here's your opportunity to: Tell us about your community Highlight community strengths and weaknesses Identify issues Learn more about planning initiatives    Request your tour. Save Your Parks. Become a Friend. Chances are you and your family are among the hundreds of thousands of people who visit Montgomery Parks several times a year to enjoy picnics, bike rides, baseball, soccer and tennis games and even walking your dog.   The Montgomery Parks Foundation fully supports M-NCPPC - Montgomery Parks commitment to ensuring your parks continue to be safe, clean and great places to spend outdoors.   With just a small donation, you can become a Friend of Montgomery Parks and help make a big difference in your park system. Learn more and become a Friend of Montgomery Parks today! Learn How to Get Involved in Montgomery County Planning To increase resident involvement in the planning process, the Planning Board, in concert with County Cable Montgomery, has produced a CD that reviews the many ways county residents can have a voice in planning their communities. The episode won a "gold" Ava award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Request a free copy of How to get Involved in Montgomery County Planning. Find a Forest Conservation Easement Do you have a forest conservation easement on or near your property? Easements protect forests on private land by limiting certain activities, part of the Planning Board's emphasis on forest conservation. Now you can locate easement areas using our online tool. Was infoShare sent to you by a friend?  Anyone with an email address can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter. Invite your friends!

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission | 8787 Georgia Ave | Silver Spring | MD | 20910