InfoShare Newsletter - July 6, 2012

[Howard Hartman]

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING BOARD | DEPARTMENT OF PARKS | PLANNING DEPARTMENT July 6, 2012
In This Issue Planning Board Schedule Notice: Park Closures Due to Storm Damage Rock Creek Trail Maintenance Notice Landscape for LifeGreater Lyttonsville Trail Run Brookside Gardens Summer Twilight Concert Series Staff Draft for Chevy Chase Lake Sector Plan Ladies Hike Out at the Ag History Farm Park Planning Board Considers 2012 Subdivision Staging Policy Landscape for Life PROS Plan Planning Board Worksession #2 Volunteer Opportunities! History in the Parks! Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit Watch Us on Montgomery Plans What Should Planners Address in New White Flint Plan? Save the Trees! Apply for a minor master plan amendment Stay in the Know on Development Got a Question About Planning? New Yards Park Builds off Stadium Have a question about Montgomery Parks? How Shady is Your Neighborhood? User-Friendly Tool Highlights Current Development 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 list 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 Upcoming meetings: Thursday, July 12 Monday, July 16 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. Park Closures Due to Storm Damage Due to heavy storm damage and power outages, many M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks facilities, parks, trails, programs and summer camps are closed or canceled. Customers are encouraged to check our website, call the Parks Information Line at 301-495-2595, and check individual facility webpages and phone lines for the most updated closure information, as status continues to change as power comes back on. ePlans User Training 3 p.m. Thursday, July 11 and 9 a.m. Friday, July 20 Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   Planners will host training sessions for users of ePlans, the online portal for submitting and reviewing development applications for consideration by the Planning Board. ePlans, which facilitates the electronic submittal and review of development applications, debuts in mid-July.  Training sessions, which are directed at architects and engineers, will cover online submittal, review and tracking of preliminary and site plans.
Rock Creek Trail Maintenance Notice Montgomery Parks will perform emergency maintenance on the Rock Creek Trail between Baltimore Road and Aspen Hill Park beginning on or about mid-July 2012. Maintenance work will last for about two weeks, weather permitting, and will repair root protrusion and drainage issues on the trail. Park and trail users are asked to use caution when approaching the area; users are encouraged to avoid the area while maintenance is on-going if possible. Please call 301-670-8080 for more information. Greater Lyttonsville Trail Run 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12 Stewart Avenue Trailhead, Georgetown Branch Trail   What could make your experience better on the Georgetown Branch Trail? Join Montgomery County planners to show them what works - and what doesn't - on the trail. Bring your sneakers and run or walk with planners, who want to learn more about connections from the trail to surrounding streets, environmental and safety issues, and more as they undertake a community plan for Greater Lyttonsville. Brookside Gardens Summer Twilight Concert Series 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday, July 10 Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton Join us Tuesday evening for a performance by Justin Trawick, an Arlington-based Urban Folk Rock band with a range from folk/bluegrass to funk/hip hop, set in the beauty of the gardens. This concert is free of charge; no registration is required. Don't forget your chairs and blankets! In the event of rain, concerts are held inside the Visitor Center. For more information, visit Brookside Gardens or call 301-962-1400. Staff Draft for Chevy Chase Lake Sector Plan 5 p.m. Thursday, July 16  Montgomery County Planning Board Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring Area 1 planners will present the staff draft of the Chevy Chase Lake Sector Plan to the Planning Board. The staff draft will detail ways to grow and improve Chevy Chase Lake while preserving its character and identity. Download the draft or view a reference copy at the Chevy Chase Library, Town Hall, Village Hall or the Planning Department Information Counter. Ladies Hike Out t the Ag History Farm Park 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 10 Ag History Farm Park 18400 Muncaster Road, Derwood   Calling all intrepid female hikers! Get your exercise in the cool of the morning (or evening) while exploring some of the county's best trails. Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothes. Meet in the parking lot of the Activities Center.  Please contact Geri Drymalski with any questions. Register at ParkPASS.org. (#196300) Ages 16 and up. Planning Board Considers 2012 Subdivision Staging Policy As Montgomery County continues to grow, planners are devising policies that ensure new and existing residents have adequate roads, transit, schools and other infrastructure. Learn more about the Subdivision Staging Policy, which is scheduled for worksessions before the Planning Board throughout July. Landscape for Life 6:30 p.m.-8 p m., Tuesdays, July 10, 17, 24, 31 & August 7 Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton   This 5-part lecture series teaches you to work with nature in your garden. The good news is that it's possible to create a great-looking garden that's healthier for you, your family, your pets, and the environment, while saving you time and money.  Registration required at www.ParkPASS.org; for more information call 301-962-1400 or visit us online at www.brooksidegardens.org. Cost is $49; cost for FOBG members is $44. PROS Plan Planning Board Worksession #2  5:30 p.m., Thursday, July 19 Park and Planning Headquarters Auditorium 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   The Planning Board will hold the last of two Worksessions on the draft  2012 Park, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan. This Worksession will focus on Agricultural Preservation and the final draft document overall. Please check the Planning Board agenda to confirm the time for this item. Volunteer Opportunities & Upcoming Training Sessions 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday July 14 and July 21 or 28 Parkside Headquarters 9500 Brunett Avenue, Silver Spring   Become a volunteer guide or docent at the Underground Railroad Experience Trail or Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park! All volunteer opportunities require at least a six-shift commitment throughout the season. Volunteers must also complete an application and background screening. Check the listings for more information on training dates and requirements.   Volunteers are encouraged to submit applications by July 5 at www.parkvolunteers.org. Students are eligible for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours.  For more information on these upcoming training sessions, contact Shirl Spicer at 301-650-4373 or via email: Shirl.Spicer@MontgomeryParks.org. History in the Parks! Weekends through November 2nd   Become a part of history! Experience what it would be like to escape on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail led by talented volunteer 'conductors' along a 2-mi long trail from Woodlawn Manor Park. Enjoy free guided tours of the Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park, a homestead at the center of an African American roadside community from emancipation well into the 20th century. Take a free tour of the Kingsley Schoolhouse, one of the best remaining examples of a one-room schoolhouse in Montgomery County. Events vary each weekend. Visit HistoryInTheParks.org for more information. Live Butterfly and Caterpillar Exhibit 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, Exhibit runs through Sunday, September 16 Brookside Gardens South Conservatory 1500 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902   Enjoy learning about the life cycle of a variety of live butterfly species during the Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens. Cost is $6 for adults and $4 for ages 3-12.  Learn more. Watch Us on Montgomery Plans The latest episode of Montgomery Plans spotlights what's next for Burtonsville, reflections from former planning director Rollin Stanley on his four-year tenure, why restoring a historic home is good for the environment and the latest big decisions of the Planning Board. Did Summer Sneak Up on You? Just because it's almost summer doesn't mean you have to settle for a second-rate camp! Montgomery Parks offers a huge variety and number of summer camps throughout the county. As a result, we still have openings in some first-rate, fascinating camps to offer you and your children. Plus, we offer more than 40 camps in August. Openings still exist in tennis camps, golf camps, combo sports camps, outdoor adventure camps, week in the park, ice skating and hockey camps, skateboarding camps, stand-up paddleboard camp. Visit MontgomeryParks.org/GUIDE to browse the Summer Camp Guide, and register at www.ParkPASS.org. Save the Trees!  On-going most weekends throughout the year   Join our incredible Special Project Weed Warriors in helping Project Supervisors throughout the county to manually remove invasive vines from trees, pull garlic mustard or wineberry and more depending on the season and the weather. Events and locations vary each weekend throughout the year. Please visit WeedWarrior.org for more information. Apply for a Minor Master Plan Amendment Property owners and community groups in Montgomery County interested in addressing issues of land use, zoning or other community priorities in their neighborhoods may submit  applications for minor master plan amendments to be considered by the Planning Board and County Council. With master plans updated just once every two decades, residents, community groups or property owners until now have been forced to wait many years to bring about small changes to land use or zoning in their areas. To address community needs more quickly, this process allows residents and others to achieve minor amendments to master plans. Stay in the Know on Development Want to stay informed about planning and development in Montgomery County? If so, ensure your local organizations are registered accurately with the Planning Department, which maintains a list of homeowners organizations and civic groups countywide. Visit our new webpage to review and update your organization's information. Got a Question About Planning?   Wondering about that sign advertising pending development in your community? Curious about how forest conservation works? Residents and others with questions about development, community plans, zoning, transportation, or environmental issues may find the answers they seek on a new Department HELP page. The page features links, an online employee directory and an online question/comment form. New Yards Park Builds off Stadium Visit the District's Yards Park, featuring movable chairs, touchable water, something to eat and, of course, people to watch. Connected to National's Stadium, it's a gem. View our photo gallery on The Straight Line blog. Have a question about M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks? Have a question about Montgomery Parks? Need to report a problem or maintenance issue in a park? Check out the Department's new, easy to use Customer Service Center and find out how to contact us by phone and email. You'll also find an easy to use online form to submit questions or information about problems in parks. How Shady is Your Neighborhood? Planners have analyzed Montgomery County's tree canopy as part of an effort to improve the local climate and energy efficiency of urban areas. The more shade, the less energy required for cooling homes and cars. While much of the county boasts a healthy a tree canopy, some urban areas lack shade - right where it is needed most. Now you can analyze your community with our new tree canopy explorer.   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. 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.

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