InfoShare Newsletter - March 27, 2009

[Howard Hartman]

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION InfoShare Montgomery County  March 27, 2009          PLANNING BOARD / DEPARTMENT OF PARKS / PLANNING DEPARTMENT
In This Issue Parks CIP Public Forum 2009 Speaker Series A New View of Proposed Development New Cable Show Encapsulates Monthly Planning Board Activities New Park Permits Online A Gift of Green... Public/Private Partnerships in Parks Check out "Building Better Communities" Video Quick Links    Planning Board homepage Planning Department homepage Department of Parks homepage Park Police homepage   Planning - Career Opportunities Parks - Career Opportunities   Watch us on County Cable Montgomery Channel 6 Parks Show Montgomery Plans Growing Right  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. Please pass the information along to others who may be interested.   Marcia Goldberg  Community Outreach and Media Relations Planning Board Meetings Agendas will be posted on our website for:   Monday, March 30, 7 p.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD  20910   Thursday, April 2, 9 a.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD  20910   Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.  Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD  20910   We now stream the Planning Board meetings online. Watch live on our website or view later from our archives. Please note:  Everyone who officially speaks at a Planning Board meeting must register with the board assistant unless he or she has already signed up in advance. Advance sign-up is available after the agenda is posted online.  Register at the meeting by submitting a yellow form available in the auditorium or a business card.  Was Infoshare Sent to You by a Friend?  Anyone with an email address can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter by visiting Infoshare.
County to Take Over Parks Programs and Facilities? On Thursday, March 26, 2009, the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee of the Montgomery County Council issued a draft memorandum that recommends moving the management and operation of the following facilities and programs from the Department of Parks to County Government by June 30, 2010: -          Cabin John Ice Rink -          Pauline Betz Addie Indoor Tennis Center at Cabin John Regional Park -          Wheaton Ice Arena -          Wheaton Indoor Tennis Center -          South Germantown Mini-Golf and Splash Playground -          Wheaton Miniature Train and Carousel -          Cabin John Train -          Rockwood Manor -          Woodlawn Manor -          Seneca Lodge -          Lake Needwood Boats -          Black Hill Boats -          All Park Activity Buildings -          Summer camps (excluding pure nature interpretive programs) -          Classes and activities (excluding pure nature interpretive programs) -          Recreation trips and excursions   The memorandum is being proposed as a follow up to the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2009-7: Organization of Recreation Programs across the Department of Parks and the Department of Recreation..   The PHED Committee will be discussing this recommendation at their meeting scheduled for Monday, March 30, at 2:00 pm at the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building in Rockville.   For more information: Draft memorandum sent on March 26, 2009:   Original OLO report: Discussion at the first work session on February 9, 2009   discussion at the second work session on March 9, 2009   www.MontgomeryParks.org MCP-Parks@MontgomeryParks.org 301-495-2595 Public Forum for the Department of Parks' and the Department of Recreation's Proposed FY 11-16 Capital Improvement Program Thursday, April 2, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Recreation Advisory Boards encourage public input on future capital improvement projects (CIP) for parks and recreation facilities for fiscal years 2011-2016.. The CIP for the Department of Parks includes proposals for parkland acquisition, renovation of older park facilities, and new park development. The Recreation Department's CIP includes proposals for construction and renovation of community/recreation centers and aquatic facilities.   To sign up to speak at the public forum, call 301-495-2545 by noon, Wednesday, April 1. The forum is limited to 35 speakers, although written comments may be submitted to Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson at 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910 by Thursday, April 2. Housing Expert to Join Planning Board Speaker Series  Growing Smarter Speaker Series Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   The Montgomery County Planning Board is inviting experts in the planning field to share thoughts, visions and personal experience to help inform and guide them as they deliberate on the 2009 Growth Policy and a host of other issues. The 2009 speaker series will provide board members -- and anyone interested in the topic -- an opportunity to hear free, thought-provoking presentations.   Thursday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. Rick Cohen How Nonprofits, Foundations and Public Agencies Address Smart Growth, Affordable Housing and Social Equity As the nation suffers through an economic freefall, charitable donations and philanthropic grant-making continues to decline. As a result, the challenges for the civic sector to engage in these issues are greater than ever. Cohen will address what nonprofits, foundations and public agencies should be doing to address smart growth, affordable housing and social equity during the economic downturn, particularly in the dynamic communities of Montgomery County.   Mark your calendar... May 14, 2009, 7:30 p.m. Lee Sobel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Business Case for Smart Growth New Web Site Features Realistic Views of Proposed Development By providing a portal to views of pending projects, including information about building heights, square footage and the mix of uses, DesignMontgomery will engage Montgomery County residents and others in a discussion about good design. The site shows current or recently approved projects, public buildings and spaces, and other design issues.   The site features four projects - three privately developed and one public project - with three-dimensional and/or animated views. The innovative angles allow web visitors to envision how a building will fit on a site. Planners will update pages with new projects in the coming months. New Monthly Cable Show Features Planning Board Activities  Now you can learn more about Planning Board activities each month on our new cable program, Growing Right. In partnership with County Cable Montgomery, we launched Growing Right in October to highlight the Planning Board's main actions in a news show format. Learn more about development applications, parks initiatives and county-wide planning studies. The lively show includes interviews with board members and planners as well as onsite location shots. Other CCM-produced educational programs about parks and plannning include The Parks Show and Montgomery Plans. Park Permits Website Upgraded - Now Faster and Easier! www.ParkPermits.org has a new look with new features allowing park users to find, check the availability of, reserve and pay to permit popular park facilities, such as picnic shelters, campsites, park activity buildings and others with ease. The recently upgraded Park Permits website offers park users 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access. A Gift of Green: Trees, Benches and Other Amenities Friends and family members can be honored by having a tree planted or a bench or picnic area installed in a Montgomery County Park. This gift keeps on giving! For more information and suggestions, visit GreenGifts.  For information on planning your gift, contact Tin-Mala in the Grants and Donations Program at 301-650-5650. Join the Public/Private Partnership of the Department of Parks The Department of Parks partners with non-profit groups and individuals in creating new and expanded recreation in Montgomery County Parks.  The Public/Private Partnership Committee meets monthly to review proposals and ideas offered to the team. For more information visit  Public/Private Partnerships. Increasing Understanding of Montgomery County Park and Planning To better inform Montgomery County residents and others interested in parks and development issues in Maryland's largest jurisdiction, we produced a 14-minute video explaining the agency's role in the community. The video, "Building Great Communities: Montgomery County, Maryland," sheds light on how the agency works to maintain the area's high quality of life. View the video online as part of our "Montgomery Plans" cable TV series or visit your local public library and ask for "Building Communities" on DVD.

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