InfoShare Newsletter - Feburary 10, 2012

[Howard Hartman]

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING BOARD | DEPARTMENT OF PARKS | PLANNING DEPARTMENT February 10, 2012
In This Issue Planning Board Schedule Streamlining Development Processes Grab Your Spring GUIDE Grow Fresh and Healthy Foods in Community Gardens Where We'll Be Small Businesses Have Impact Registration for Spring Programs Tour Josiah Henson Special Park Glenmont Visioning Part II Partial Closure of Sligo Creek Trail 2nd...Annual Brides on the Bus! Lessons in City Planning Watch Us on Montgomery Plans Got a Question About Planning? Share Your Ideas about the East County 2012 PROS Plan Update Connect with Parks How Shady is Your Neighborhood? Deer Population Management New Tool Highlights Current Development Neighborhood Walk-Abouts 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, February 16 Thursday, February 23 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. Streamlining Development 2:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 14 1:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, March 9 Executive Office Building, Lobby Auditorium 101 Monroe Street, Rockville   The county Department of Permitting Services, the Planning Department and other agencies involved in the development review process will host two public forums on streamlining development review. A new cross-agency effort will streamline development application processes by eliminating duplication and multiple reviews. County staff seek input from developers, residents and other stakeholders on how to consolidate plans, permit reviews and inspections and eliminate inconsistencies.
Grab Your Spring GUIDE The Spring GUIDE to Recreation and Parks Programs has arrived! Check out the eGuide or pick up your copy at your favorite parks facility, recreation center, library or government building. Parks programs begin on page 97.  Grow Fresh and Healthy Foods in Community Gardens Does your New Year's resolution involve eating healthy? Do you love fresh fruits and vegetables but hate the grocer's prices? Then be sure to check out our Community Gardens! We have 10 community garden locations located all over Montgomery County that provide you with public space and water to garden individual plots. Plots cost between $25 and $75 per plot (depending on size/location). Open enrollment for plots began February 1, 2012. Learn more and apply today - plots will go quickly! Where We'll Be White Flint Sector Plan Implementation Committee 7:30 p.m. Monday, February 13 Wall Local Park/Shriver Aquatic Center   Lead planner Nkosi Yearwood will staff this meeting. Rita Gale with the Department of Public Libraries, Facilities and Strategic Planning division will present.   Zoning Advisory Panel 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, February 15 Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   The advisory panel will continue to review drafts of the Zoning Rewrite Project with the staff. Even Small Businesses Have an Impact : The Nine Elements of Sustainability force us to think about the interrelationships of how we move about our environment each day and how one action must be considered across a broad range of impacts that define how, when, where and why we do what we do. Read more on The Director's Blog.    Registration for Spring Programs Registration dates for M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks spring classes is as follows: February 14/15 for classes at Nature Centers, Brookside Gardens, Olney Manor Skate Park, Outdoor Tennis and South Germantown Driving Range March 3/4 for March/April Indoor Tennis classes April 17/18 for April/May Ice Skating classes April 23/24 for May Indoor Tennis classes Tour Josiah Henson Special Park in Honor of Black History Month Enjoy free guided tours of the historic Josiah Henson Special Park from noon until 4 p.m. each Saturday in February. Attendees will retrace the footsteps of Reverend Josiah Henson from his enslavement to escape on the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada and walk the grounds where Henson toiled as a slave on the Isaac Riley plantation. Copies of Reverend Henson's autobiography and the new children's book, Working for Freedom: The Story of Josiah Henson will be available for purchase each Saturday. Learn more.  Planners to Build Upon Glenmont Visioning  7-9 p.m. Wednesday, February 22 Saddlebrook/Park Police Headquarters 12751 Layhill Road, Silver Spring   Some 90 people attended last Saturday's community visioning workshop held in hopes of creating a better Glenmont. Next up: a report on what everyone said and where to go next. Partial Closure of Sligo Creek Trail NOTICE: Starting February 6, 2012, the Sligo Creek Trail will be closed at Flora Lane and Crosby Road for approximately four weeks. The closure will allow a new pedestrian bridge to be installed, replacing two existing drainage pipes. Stream improvements will also be made to the Sligo Creek tributary during this time. Save the Date: 2nd Annual Brides on the Bus! Are wedding bells in your future? Do you know a bride-to-be? Get on the bus with M-NCPPC, Montgomery Parks and tour each of Montgomery Parks' five Event Centers while leaving the driving to us! You'll meet event center representatives and wedding vendors at each stop, sample food, and get information on venues, music, photography and more. The cost is just $15 per person. Visit www.ParkEventCenters.com for more info, and register beginning February 14 at www.ParkPASS.org. Learning from Rybczynski Lots of lessons in city planning from architecture and urban studies author Witold Rybczynski's book, City Life. Learn more on The Straight Line blog. Watch Us on Montgomery Plans The latest episode of Montgomery Plans spotlights the county's new Commercial Residential Zone, which is expected to transform strategic areas. Also featured: a tour of Lyttonsville, a new tool that maps the county's tree canopy and the latest big decisions of the Planning Board.   Got a Question About Planning? New Webpage Guides Residents 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. Share Your Ideas about the East County Planners are working on a new vision for the White Oak/Hillandale/Cherry Hill area. Fill out a questionnaire to help planners identify the community's assets and what can be improved. 2012 PROS Plan Update: There's Still Time to Voice Your Opinion Two public meetings were recently held to collect input for future park and recreation needs. If you missed these meetings, there's still time to voice your opinion.  Find out more about this plan and how you can get involved. Connect with Parks Whether you prefer Facebook, Twitter, e-newsletters, or want to see how to contact us or find out about ongoing park projects, there are several ways to stay connected with M-NCPPC, Montgomery 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.   Deer Population Management - Park Closures For public safety, the Department of Parks closes select park locations to public access for the duration of deer population management operations. Learn more about this program and find a full schedule of park closure dates and locations for Managed Deer Hunting and Park Police-based Sharpshooting operations for Fiscal Year 2012. 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. 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. 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