Media Center

MEDIA ADVISORY: Department of Parks, CUPF and MCPS Host Athletic Field User Forum Thursday, March 26

SILVER SPRING, MD—The Montgomery County Department of Parks with Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will host an interactive, pre-season forum on the county’s athletic fields. The agenda for this user forum includes discussion of fee and policy changes for reserving fields, field use trends, new and artificial turf fields, field renovation schedules, inclement weather and rain refund policies, adopt-a-field opportunities, budget impacts for the county’s athletic fields and field monitoring. The forum will also include an opportunity for general questions and answers. 

WHO:    
Montgomery County Department of Parks
Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF)
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

WHAT:   
Athletic Field User Forum

WHEN: 
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

WHERE:
Department of Recreation Theater
4010 Randolph Road, Silver Spring, MD 20902 

For more information, see www.ParkPermits.org. 

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

Researcher to Discuss Local Opportunities to Reduce Carbon Footprints as Part of Planning Board Speaker Series

SILVER SPRING, MD – Andrea Sarzynski, a researcher who focuses on the connections between land use and environmental impacts, will join the Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday, March 19, as part of its 2009 Growing Smarter Speaker Series.

Sarzynski, assistant research professor at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy, will discuss carbon footprints – how energy use converts to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. Her talk will summarize research ranking energy use and carbon footprints across U.S. metropolitan areas.

With the Planning Board focusing on environmental concerns like global warming as part of the 2009-2011 Growth Policy, as well as a host of other initiatives, Sarzynski’s talk is timely. She will highlight the factors within local control that contribute to an area’s carbon footprint, including capital investments, zoning and approval of development projects.

Prior to working at GWU, Sarzynski worked at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, researching demographic, economic, energy, and environmental trends in the United States. She also evaluated state, local, and international energy and climate policies.

Sarzynski previously worked for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and has a Ph.D. in public policy from the George Washington University and a B.S. in natural resources from Cornell University.

Sarzynski is the fourth of a series of speakers who will address the board this year as part of the speaker series. Continuing education credits are pending for AICP members.

Who:
Montgomery County Planning Department

What:
Andrea Sarzynski
“Local Opportunities to Influence our Carbon Footprint”
Growing Smarter Speaker Series

When: 
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19

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

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MEDIA ADVISORY: A Chance Like This Only Happens Once Every 2 Years! Joint Public Forum on Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Budget for Parks and Recreation

SILVER SPRING, MD—The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Recreation Advisory Boards are accepting 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.  

Recent Department of Parks accomplishments from the current CIP budget include renovations to the Wheaton Indoor Tennis facility, completion of the Matthew Henson Hiker-Biker Trail, several new playgrounds and playground renovations countywide and others.

To sign up to speak during this public forum, call 301-495-2545 by 12:00 noon, Wednesday, April 1. The forum is limited to 35 speakers; however, written comments may be submitted to Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson at 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910 or [email protected] by Thursday, April 2.

WHO:    
Montgomery County Planning Board
Montgomery County Recreation Advisory Boards

WHAT:   
Joint Public Forum for the Proposed FY 11-16 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Budget

WHEN: 
Thursday, April 2, 2009, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

WHERE:
Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring 

View the current CIP

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

Seattle Design Expert to Describe Environmentally Responsible Design as Part of Planning Board Speaker Series

SILVER SPRING, MD – A landscape architect regarded as a true innovator for her work on a 120-acre environmentally responsible townhouse development in Seattle, among other projects, will join the Montgomery County Planning Department on Tuesday, March 17 as part of its 2009 Growing Smarter Speaker Series.

Peg Staeheli, ASLA LEED, is president of SvR Design Company, a Seattle-based landscape architecture and civil engineering firm specializing in integrated and environmentally responsible design. Her work has featured sustainable solutions that incorporate natural features into the built environment. She also has worked to modify urban development building codes based on models in Sweden and Germany. Called the Green Factor, the codes are part of Seattle’s plan to bring more greenery to the streets of commercial districts and compensate for the limitations urban density imposes on green space.

Staeheli and her firm have installed specialized drainage systems – including such measures as rainwater harvesting, green roofs, porous pavements, grassy and vegetated infiltration swales, and zero import/export water management. Those measures combine to improve water quality and stream flows to environmentally sensitive watersheds, such as those with high salmon value.

Her signature project, High Point Redevelopment, showcased how to build innovative high-density, mixed income and affordable/market rate housing while improving water quality in a nearby creek. Working with the Seattle Housing Authority, Staeheli helped move the plan through subdivision and site plan reviews and set the stage for infrastructure improvements such as a network of swales, ponds and open space spanning 34 blocks.

The first phase of the 1,600-unit development was completed in 2006 and met an ambitious goal to limit overall paved, impervious surfaces on High Point’s 120 acres. The second phase is under construction.

Such low-impact development that also provides for diverse housing needs is a topic of interest to Montgomery County planners as they ink a new housing plan and form recommendations for the 2009-2011 Growth Policy.

Staeheli is the third of a series of speakers who will address the board this year as part of the Growing Smarter Speaker Series. She has presented on sustainable and low impact development approaches at numerous venues, including the annual Low Impact Development conference and the Society for Ecological Restoration conference.

Continuing education credits are pending for AICP members.

Who:
Montgomery County Planning Department

What:
Peg Staeheli
“Environmentally Sensitive Design: The High Point Neighborhood Case Study”
Growing Smarter Speaker Series

When: 
7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17

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

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County Planning Department Launches Web Site Featuring Realistic Views of Proposed Development

SILVER SPRING, MD – County planners have created a series of new web pages that, by showcasing three-dimensional and animated views of proposed development, provides detailed depictions of what may come to area communities.

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.

The site is intended to inform the public about upcoming development as well as engage people interested in architecture and design. Web visitors may rate and comment upon what they see in an online forum intended to elevate the issue of design throughout Montgomery County.

For example, DesignMontgomery offers views of the Silver Spring Library proposed for Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street in the community’s Fenton Village area. For that project, urban design planners have posted their vision for how to best integrate the library into Fenton Village in addition to the design perspectives created by the County Executive’s office.

The site also features three developments pending in downtown Silver Spring.