Media Center

Planning Board Considers Community Views on Protecting Open Space

SILVER SPRING, MD—Yesterday the Montgomery County Planning Board heard community input about Park Legacy Open Space recommendations for a total of 9 properties throughout the county. Department of Parks Legacy Open Space program managers recommended 7 sites for inclusion into the program and recommended rejecting 2 other proposals. 

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Planning Board directed parks staff to review community feedback and prepare modified recommendations based on this input for another presentation to the Planning Board soon.

“The two sites we have not recommended for inclusion into the Legacy Open Space Program are without question important community resources,” said Montgomery County Department of Parks Legacy Open Space Program Manager Brenda Sandberg.  “However, protection of these special places might readily be accomplished through partnerships.” 

The county’s Legacy Open Space (LOS) Program is managed by the Montgomery County Department of Parks. The program identifies and protects properties featuring vital natural, historic or strategic open space needs. On a two-year cycle, park LOS program managers present a slate of potential properties that may qualify for LOS status to the Planning Board. The board may then direct staff to try to purchase the sites, negotiate protection agreements with property owners or take no action. LOS is but one of several funding sources for the purchase and protection of Montgomery County parkland.

“These recommendations always generate a great deal of public interest,” added Sandberg.

Yesterday’s hearing was no exception. The hearing was well attended with more than 30 signed-up in advance to provide public testimony, including the National Park Service, Rock Creek Forest Neighbors Coalition, several homeowner associations, community coalitions and advocates.

The recommended properties presented to the Board for review were: Beverly Property, Broad Run Watershed in Poolesville, Wild Acres/Grosvenor Mansion Property in Bethesda, Milton Property, Capital View Park, Hickey and Offut in Bethesda, Ireland Drive/National Park Seminary Carriage Trails in Silver Spring, National 4H Council Headquarters in Chevy Chase and Montgomery College of Art and Design in Wheaton.

The two proposals recommended for rejection for inclusion into the LOS program included Selden Island/Walker Site in Poolesville and Edson Lane Forest in Bethesda. Selden Island was nominated for inclusion into the program by parks department staff and the Edson Lane Forest was nominated by a community advocate.

Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson concluded Thursday’s hearing by saying: “The Planning Board will take the hearing and testimony under advisement.  There was an enormous amount of testimony, and we need to read that before we make any recommendations on the properties reviewed by staff.”

The LOS program is vital to the protection of open space in Montgomery County. Bi-annually, the department’s program mangers receive dozens of applications requesting protection of properties under this program. Class II properties would not preclude the owners from submitting development proposals for the property.

“The hearing was simply another opportunity for us to collect more community feedback, which we are happy to get and consider as we adjust our initial recommendations as needed,” said Director of Parks Mary Bradford.  “It was good to see so many taking an active role.”

The Planning Board is accepting written testimony on this matter through December 3. Those wishing to submit testimony on any of the parcels can send it to MCP-Chairman@mncppc-mc.org or fax 301-495-1320.

For more on the Montgomery County Department of Parks’ Legacy Open Space Program, please visit www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org.

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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866

This Thanksgiving, County Department of Parks, Audubon Naturalist Society and Others Give Thanks for Montgomery County's “Wild” Side

SILVER SPRING, MD—With the launch of a new initiative called “Wild Montgomery,” the Montgomery County Department of Parks with partners such as the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Seneca Creek State Park, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Montgomery Bird Club, Montgomery County Sierra Club and Audubon Naturalist Society are giving thanks for the county’s wild, natural spaces this Thanksgiving. 

“We have a lot to be thankful for here in Montgomery County when it comes to great natural areas,” said Montgomery County Department of Parks Natural Resources Manager Rob Gibbs. “Not just for fun, our wild areas reduce air and water pollutants, alleviate flooding, control erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.”

As part of the “Wild Montgomery” initiative the county parks department with its partners have identified 14 of the best green getaways in the county including, for example, the C&O Canal National Historical Park as the best place for spring wildflower viewing, McKee Beshers Wildlife Area as best for wildlife viewing and Little Bennett Regional Park and Rachel Carson Conservation Park as the best places to get away from it all. The new www.WildMontgomery.org site provides information, resources and little known facts about the abundance of natural spaces in Montgomery County. From this site, those interested in immersing themselves in the county’s natural treasures may also download a printable map of the best green getaways selected.

“Our parks offer plenty of opportunities to enjoy, protect and celebrate what’s wild about Montgomery County year round,” added Gibbs.

“Wild Montgomery” resources in county parks include the variety of nature-based classes and programs offered at the department’s four nature centers, miles of natural surface trails running through the parks, award-winning public gardens and volunteer opportunities throughout the year to help make a difference by protecting the county’s natural areas.

Partnering organizations similarly provide opportunities for county residents and visitors to get out and explore the best of Montgomery County’s natural areas. “We offer programs for school kids, adults, for people from practically cradle to grave,” said Stephanie Mason, senior naturalist with the Audubon Naturalist Society. “We want to get people outdoors and we often use county parks as destinations for our field trips to share the richness of these wild resources so close-in to our urban area.”

Montgomery County cable subscribers can learn more about the Audubon Naturalist Society and the “Wild Montgomery” initiative this month on The Parks Show, which is airing now through November 30 at least two times daily on County Cable Montgomery, Comcast Channel 6. The show is also available online from www.MontgomeryParks.org.

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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
(301) 650-2866

Montgomery Planners Invite Community to Workshop that Emphasizes Well-Designed, Sustainable Communities

SILVER SPRING, MD – How might Montgomery County planners accommodate future growth while providing ways to encourage great public spaces, dynamic streetscapes and a pleasing overall layout of homes, retail, offices and other uses?

Learn more about a new type of zoning tool that stresses great design and ways to improve the form and function of maturing communities through well-guided growth at a day-long workshop scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 1 at the Planning Department’s Silver Spring headquarters.  

The zoning approach – formally known as “form-based codes” because they can affect the literal shape of communities – applies mainly to urbanizing areas, making it especially useful for Montgomery County and its many maturing neighborhoods. Planners expect that most development will occur in older communities ringing the Beltway and along I-270 and want the zoning technique to be a key approach among many growth management strategies.

Form-based codes differ from existing zoning by emphasizing physical characteristics over strict boundaries between different land uses.

“As Montgomery County grows, we believe that future planning will need to focus on smaller geographic areas with heightened attention on community character, design and public spaces,” said Acting Planning Director Gwen Wright, adding that she wants the department to be able to respond more nimbly to market and population changes.

The workshop, featuring presentations by four expert planners who specialize in the new zoning techniques, will address how to apply them within existing land use plans and the potential legislation that may be necessary to create new zones. Guest speakers also will illustrate dynamic urban areas developed using the new zoning method.

Workshop space is limited. Please RSVP by Monday, November 26 to crystal.myers@mncppc-mc.org or 301/495-2192.

WHO:
Montgomery County Planning Department

WHAT:
Workshop on design-oriented zoning (form-based codes)

WHEN:  
Saturday, December 1, 2007 – 8:30 a.m.

WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD

Montgomery County Planning Board to Consider Acquiring Area Properties for Open Space Program

SILVER SPRING, MD – At a public hearing scheduled for approximately 4 p.m. Thursday, November 15, the Montgomery County Planning Board will analyze the merits of several properties recommended for inclusion in an open space protection program.

The Legacy Open Space (LOS) program identifies and protects properties featuring vital natural, historic or strategic open space needs. On a two-year cycle, park planners present a slate of potential properties that may qualify for LOS status to the Planning Board. The board then may  direct staff to try to purchase the sites, negotiate protection agreements with property owners, or take no action.

LOS is but one of several sources of funding for the purchase and protection of Montgomery County parkland.

The properties recommended for inclusion in LOS are:

Beverly Property, Broad Run Watershed, Poolesville. Staff determined that the property contains endangered species habitat and is part of a critical mass of mature forest.

Wild Acre/Grosvenor Mansion, Bethesda. Originally the home of Gilbert Grosvenor, founder of National Geographic, and Elsie Bell, daughter of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, the mansion is a key historic resource, staff says.

Milton Property, Capitol View Park. The site connects two parks and is considered to have valuable natural and historic resources.

Hickey and Offut, Bethesda. Located next to Rock Creek Park, these four forested sites would help protect water resources, staff says. Property owners have submitted plans to develop 11 single-family lots; park planners recommend that the board require the owner to protect important forested areas on site.

Ireland Drive/National Park Seminary Carriage Trails. The property would add to a cluster of historic sites, including the National Park Seminary, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The paved carriage trail includes five scenic bridges on the Forest Glen annex of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

National 4H Council Headquarters, Chevy Chase. Staff identified this site as a scarce open space within a heavily urbanized community. The property sits on 12 acres on Connecticut Avenue.

Montgomery College of Art and Design, Wheaton. This four-acre site along Georgia Avenue was recently rezoned to allow townhouses. However, at the request of area residents, park planners recommend that the parcel become a park to meet a need for more public open space in the heavily developed area.

As part of its review of potential LOS sites, staff also recommended rejecting proposals for the following two properties:

Selden Island/Walker Village Site, Poolesville. This 400-acre island in the Potomac River is now used as a turf farm by tenant farmers. The property is the only prehistoric National Registry site in the county. Staff recommends developing a partnership with the property owner regarding preservation, reforestation and land management.

Edson Lane Forest, Bethesda. This heavily forested 1.8-acre parcel contains mature hardwood trees near a middle school and park. Staff reports that the site is too isolated and forested to become a public park, but recommends evaluating other options to preserve the woods.

LOS staff also recommended that the board defer a decision on a Bethesda property known as Woodmont East, which was proposed to become a hotel. However, after a more than three-hour public hearing on the matter last week, the developer asked the board to defer a decision until the applicant can submit a revised plan. LOS staff plans to review the revised application and make a recommendation to the board about potential inclusion as a future protected site.

The board will limit testimony on LOS items to 90 minutes. The board expects to hear 12 items over the course of the day.

WHO:
Montgomery County Planning Board

 WHAT:
Legacy Open Space acquisition program

WHEN:  
Thursday, November 15, 2007 – approximately 4 p.m.

WHERE: 
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD

In Popular Speaker Series, Two More Land Use Experts to Discuss Climate Change and Team Building With Planning Board

SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board will welcome two more speakers to present their successes and ideas through the popular Excellence in Planning speaker series, formerly called the Growth Management Series, which focuses on great urban design, strategic economic development, wise environmental protections and other topics that will help the Planning Board shape the future of Montgomery County.

Thursday, November 15 – 9 a.m.

James Murley, the leader of a Florida urban environmental institute, will outline some of the steps local planners might consider as the climate continues to warm. Murley will discuss strategies to plan for and respond to climate change, such as developing infrastructure that will remain flexible in the face of changing environmental conditions.  

 Murley directs the Catanese Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University. In that role, he works with communities striving to manage growth and stimulate the economy while preserving Florida’s unique environmental systems. The center works with local governments, state agencies, civic and business groups, academics and professionals to create dynamic, livable communities. Prior to heading the center, Murley served as secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs and executive director of 1000 Friends of Florida.

Monday, November 19 – 4:30 p.m.

Rollin Stanley, director of the Planning & Urban Design Agency for the city of St. Louis, will discuss his successes with team-building approaches to land use planning. Stanley, who has worked for the city since 2002, took the helm of what was a brand-new agency and applied a team approach to improve planning services and historic preservation. As part of that, Stanley focuses on neighborhood and commercial revitalization, tax incentives to jumpstart lagging city areas, plans to improve the St. Louis waterfront and market research to attract new investment.

Prior to that, Stanley served as senior planner focusing on urban development services, for the city of Toronto. In that role, he oversaw revitalization efforts in the city’s industrial district.

WHO:
James Murley, director, Catanese Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions
Rollin Stanley, director, City of St. Louis Planning and Urban Design Agency

WHAT:

Montgomery County Planning Board Excellence in Planning speaker series

 
WHEN:  

Thursday, November 15, 2007 – 9 a.m.
Monday, November 19, 2007 – 4:30 p.m.

 
WHERE:

Park and Planning Headquarters

8787 Georgia Avenue

Silver Spring, MD

Drop, Shop & Skate a Win/Spin Proposition, Department of Parks Ice Rinks Offer Holiday Shopping Solution

SILVER SPRING, MD—Families looking to take advantage of “Black Friday” deals minus the little ones might find the solution at county ice skating rinks with the Department of Parks’ “Drop, Shop & Skate”   program.

“This is our fifth year offering this program at the Wheaton Ice Arena and it has proved very popular,” said Manager Cathy Laws.

“Drop, Shop & Skate” programs are planned at both the Wheaton Ice Arena, 11717 Orebaugh Avenue in Wheaton and the Cabin John Ice Rink, 10610 Westlake Drive in Rockville, on Friday, November 23 from 8:00 am – 12:00 noon.  The programs are geared for children ages 6 through 12. For $25 per child, families can drop off their children at the ice rinks for skating, movies and snacks while they get a jump on the holiday shopping.

The Wheaton Ice Arena is conveniently located to the Westfield Wheaton Plaza Mall and the Cabin John Ice Rink is near Westfield’s Montgomery Mall and many retail shops along Rockville Pike.

“Families that took advantage of this program last year raved about our convenient timing,” said Cabin John Ice Rink Skating Director Nancy Cadigan.

Parents can register now for either “Drop, Shop & Skate” program online at www.ParkPass.org (Course #38075 for Cabin John and Course #43382 for Wheaton). Early registration is encouraged.

For more information on the ice rinks visit www.CabinJohnIce.com and www.WheatonIceArena.com.

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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
(301) 650-2866

Montgomery County Planning Board Seeks Public Comments on Twinbrook Plan

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING BOARD SEEKS

PUBLIC COMMENTS ON TWINBROOK PLAN

SILVER SPRING, MD – Residents, property owners and others interested in the future of Twinbrook can learn more and respond to a draft of the sector plan at a public hearing scheduled for Thursday Nov. 15 at Park and Planning Headquarters in Silver Spring.

Planners have been working with the community to develop a Twinbrook sector plan – a document that guides growth in the area for the next 15-20 years. Twinbrook is located in North Bethesda along Rockville Pike.

The draft envisions Twinbrook, part of Montgomery County’s Technology Corridor, as a community that mixes residential, light industrial, commercial and high-tech industry. The plan calls for a new level of urban mixed uses and provides new opportunities for entrepreneurship, access to mass transit, and public features like new urban parks and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and paths.

The Planning Board will consider public comments on the plan’s recommendations this fall during a series of work sessions and hearings. Public comments will help shape the plan’s final recommendations. Those wishing to participate can sign up in advance to testify at http://www.daicsearch.org/planning_board/testify.asp (select Nov. 15 in the date drop-down menu). Or call us at 301-495-4600 or e-mail us with your name and address and ask to be put on the Twinbrook public hearing list.

WHO:

Montgomery County Planning Department

WHAT:

Public hearing on Twinbrook Sector Plan

 WHEN:

Thursday, November 15, 2007 – approximately 7 p.m. 

 WHERE:

Park and Planning Headquarters

8787 Georgia Avenue

Silver Spring, Md.

Montgomery County Planning Board Approves MOU with Development Partner, Request for Council Appropriation

 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING BOARD APPROVES MOU WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, REQUEST FOR COUNCIL APPROPRIATION

 

SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Board voted unanimously to adopt an agreement with its private development partner to lay the groundwork for SilverPlace – a project slated to include a new Park and Planning headquarters, condos, rental units, retail and open space at Georgia Avenue and Spring Street.

 

The non-binding agreement (formally known as a memorandum of understanding) establishes the roles and responsibilities of the Planning Board and the development team in the project’s initial stages, which involve developing a design concept for and working out the details for moving forward. More detailed and substantive agreements are expected later.

 

The Board also voted to request a special appropriation from the County Council to begin the design phase and convene the charrettes with stakeholders. The funding request may be up to $4.9 million and will cover the cost of the project’s schematic design.

 

“The most important element is the requirement for a fresh look at the design of the entire public-private project through a series of charrettes,” explained Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson.

 

“The charrettes will match design talent with public perspectives to produce a concept that meets the Commission’s need for a headquarters and sets a new standard for public buildings and urban open space. We also want to provide an exemplary housing development that accommodates a wide range of incomes, respects and fits well into the neighborhood while exceeding environmental standards.” 

 

At the charrettes, architects will begin putting ideas to paper and obtaining input for initial design proposals from outside experts, community members and staff who will eventually move into the headquarters. The community charrette portion of the design is expected to take up to four months. The total design of the project is expected to take 10 months.

 

Under the proposal, the Park and Planning Commission will negotiate a future agreement to sell part of its property to the private development team to build the residential and retail components of the project. Another agreement will spell out the range of costs and fees associated with design and construction.

 

To address the lack of affordable housing in the county, SilverPlace will include a minimum of

30 percent affordable residences. Like all new or proposed public projects in Montgomery County, SilverPlace will meet “silver” or higher environmentally friendly standards set forth by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

 

In 2005, Park and Planning officials released a competitive request for proposals for the SilverPlace project. Among the three development teams who responded with a proposal, SilverPlace, LLC was ranked the top contender. During the competition for the project -- for illustrative purposes only -- development teams submitted conceptual architectural renderings for the site. The Board has made no decisions on the design or placement of buildings.

Due to Time Constraints, Public Testimony On Woodmont East Case Limited to Three Hours

SILVER SPRING, MD – Due to time constraints and the 12 other items on the Montgomery County Planning Board’s agenda for tomorrow, testimony on the Woodmont East case will be limited to three hours. Nearly 30 interested residents have already signed up to testify.

The proposed project would bring a combination of condominiums, offices, retail and a hotel to 2½ acres at Woodmont and Bethesda avenues in Bethesda. Residents have expressed concern about open space in the downtown area and access to the popular Capital Crescent bike trail.

The Woodmont East case is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson will ask all testifiers to shorten their remarks so that as many people as possible can be heard in the three-hour window.

The hearing will be held at Park and Planning Headquarters, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.

Montgomery Planning Board November 8 Meeting Highlights

SILVER SPRING, MD – Among the 13 items scheduled on the Montgomery County Planning Board’s November 8 agenda are two proposed development projects – a combination of condominiums, offices, retail and a hotel in downtown Bethesda and an agreement for a proposed new agency headquarters in Silver Spring.

Woodmont East, proposed for Bethesda, has generated interest from residents concerned about open space in the downtown area and access to the popular Capital Crescent bike trail. The mixed-use development would be built on about 2½ acres at Woodmont and Bethesda avenues.

Nineteen individuals have signed up to testify about the proposal; others may sign up before Thursday or during the hearing. Woodmont East is tentatively scheduled to be heard at 2:30 p.m.

The board also will consider an agreement spelling out the terms of a public/private partnership to build a new headquarters for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Montgomery County staff as well as a mix of residences and other uses on the edge of downtown Silver Spring. The board is scheduled to discuss what’s known as SilverPlace at approximately 1:30 p.m.

WHO:
The Montgomery County Planning Board

WHAT:
Public hearing agenda items

WHEN:
Thursday, November 8, 2007

WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring

MEDIA ADVISORY: Department of Parks Hosts Public Lecture on History of Animal Industry Building in Norwood Local Park Wednesday, November 14

BETHESDA, MD—The Montgomery County Department of Parks will host a public lecture Wednesday, November 14 on the history of the main building at Norwood Local Park, known historically as the Office and Administration Building of the Bureau of Animal Industry’s Bethesda Experiment Station. Department of Parks Cultural Resources Manager Joey Lampl will present the historical research gathered to date about the main brick building and discuss the evolution of the overall uses at the site from the 1897 period to the present. The Department of Parks will also discuss its plans for evaluating the building for potential historic designation and its plans to partner with the community on a feasibility study so that all of the building’s spaces can once again be used.

In late June, the Department of Parks briefed the Montgomery County Planning Board on draft proposals for managing 31 park recreation buildings (activity centers) within the parks system. The Bureau of Animal Industry Building at Norwood Local Park was among those buildings studied. Wednesday’s lecture is the first update and public dialogue on how the department is assessing the history of this building and plans to move forward to its full utilization.

WHO:    
Montgomery County Department of Parks

WHAT:    
Historical Lecture on Norwood Local Park Building

WHEN:
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
7:00 pm

WHERE:
Norwood Local Park
4700 Norwood Road, Bethesda, Maryland

For more information on the department’s park recreation buildings (activity centers) study, see www.ParkPlanningandStewardship.org.

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Contact:   
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866

Deer Activity at its Peak First 3 Weeks of November; County's Department of Parks and Deer Management Work Group Reminds Drivers to Take Caution

SILVER SPRING, MD—Deer breeding season runs from mid-October to January, with peak activity during the first three weeks of November. The Montgomery County Department of Parks and the county’s intra-agency Deer Management Work Group cautions drivers about the increased risk of accidents this time of the year as deer are more active than usual and less wary of their surroundings.

“With the time change this past weekend, too, the peak of the evening commute is well into dusk—a time where deer are especially active and can be difficult to see,” said Rob Gibbs, natural resources manager for the Montgomery County Department of Parks and chair of the county’s Deer Management Work Group.   

Drivers can take caution and reduce their risk of a deer-vehicle accident by driving the speed limit, reducing their speeds below the limit at night and especially during precipitation or fog and scanning the roadsides for the eye shine of deer.  Drivers should also keep the following in mind when driving in deer country:

- Deer are most active at dawn and dusk.
- Watch for deer where roads pass through wooded or rural areas.
- Deer crossing signs indicate where heavily used deer trails cross roadways; so slow down and watch for deer.
- Take extra caution during high deer activity seasons, such as now through January, breeding season; and May and June when yearlings are seeking new territories.
- Deer usually travel in groups. If you see one cross the road, slow down and take caution, more are likely to follow.

According to the Montgomery County Deer Management Work Group’s fiscal year 2008 report, which was released in June, deer-vehicle collisions in the county continue to slowly decline. Last year, Montgomery County Police Department data reports 1,951deer-vehicle collisions in the county, down slightly for the fourth year in a row. The county’s parks department actively manages deer populations in county parks through controlled managed hunting and Park Police-based sharpshooting.

For more information on deer, visit www.mc-mncppc.org/environment/deer.

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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
(301) 650-2866

Have Your Say About the Future of White Flint: Community Advisory Group to Discuss Latest Plan

SILVER SPRING, MD – Montgomery County planners working on a plan for White Flint invite interested individuals to a White Flint Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6 at Park and Planning Headquarters in Silver Spring.

Planners hope to hear from anyone interested in the future of White Flint, located in north Bethesda along Rockville Pike. The advisory committee has been working with staff to develop a White Flint Sector Plan – a document that guides growth in the community for the next 15-20 years.

Planners will present some of their ideas for improving the current North Bethesda/Garrett Park Master Plan, including incorporating a combination of urban-styled retail, residential and office near the White Flint Metro station, better connecting residents to mass transit and re-orienting Rockville Pike to focus more on pedestrians, bicyclists and other transportation methods.

The meeting provides an opportunity for planners and the advisory committee to hear ideas for White Flint’s future. Interested individuals are asked to sign up to speak in advance at WhiteFlintPlanning@mncppc-mc.org. (Organizers request that speakers specify a topic relevant to the White Flint plan.)

The White Flint sector plan will go to the Planning Board for consideration in the next few months. After the Planning Board holds work sessions and a public hearing, it will send its version of the plan to the Montgomery County Council for final review and approval.

WHO:
Montgomery County Planning Department

WHAT:
Public forum on White Flint Sector Plan

WHEN:
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 – 7 p.m.  (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, Md.

Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman Wins Leadership Award

SILVER SPRING, MD – A year after Royce Hanson returned to lead the Montgomery County Planning Board in his second stint as board chairman, a key regional planning group has recognized his contribution to improving quality of life in the region by giving him a prestigious lifetime achievement award.

The American Planning Association’s National Capital Area Chapter has awarded Hanson its 2007 Frederick Gutheim Distinguished Leadership Award, recognition given to an individual who has raised the profile and importance of planning. Hanson will receive the award on Thursday, November 8, at the National Music Center at the Historic Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.

"Dr. Hanson is an obvious choice for this year's leadership award," said Art Chambers, president of the National Capital Area of APA. "Our judges were impressed by the length and breadth of his service, his sense of purpose and his wide vision for the future of the region. Montgomery County is fortunate that Hanson was available to once again lead the parks and planning agency.”

A career educator who worked in education and leadership roles at American University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Hanson first served on the Planning Board from 1970-1981. During that time, Hanson helped the board develop a national reputation for forward-thinking planning and parks management.

Hanson is recognized for being a lead architect of the county’s famed Agricultural Reserve, a 93,000-acre swath along the county’s northern and western borders permanently set aside for agriculture. The reserve is considered one the most significant environmentally friendly land-use decisions in county history and is heralded as one of greatest examples of land conservation policies in America.

In addition to his teaching and planning work, Hanson has served on a variety of boards, including the Maryland Environmental Trust and the Center for Agro-Ecology at the University of Maryland. Hanson has authored numerous book and articles on urban policy and politics.

The Montgomery County Council selected Hanson as Planning Board chairman in 2006.