Chevy Chase Open Space Urban Park Concept Plan
PROJECT UPDATE
PROJECT OVERVIEW
CALENDAR & MEETING NOTES
RESOURCES
CONTACT US
Project Update
Public Meeting Recap
The Department of Parks and Chevy Chase Village held a public meeting on June 15, 2011to collect public input in order to create a vision and develop a long-term Concept Plan for Chevy Chase Open Space Urban Park. Park staff gave a PowerPoint Presentation (pdf, 1.6mb) which reviewed the park history, relevant policy guidelines, the planning process and the proposed schedule .
The community provided their ideas for both a short-term and a long-term vision for the future of the park. This input was recorded and is available below in the Calendar & Meeting Notes in the near future .
Site Cleanup Progress
Significant changes to the park have been apparent after this summer’s site cleanup work, resulting in a safer, more visible and user friendly condition in the park. See the Phase I Site Cleanup section below for more details.
What's Next
In preparation for the public meeting this winter, Parks staff will develop draft concept plans and “vision" boards to illustrate input from the public meetings. If you missed the meeting this past June, contact the project manager with your input.
Phase I - Site Cleanup
Parks staff and contractors have completed the initial site cleanup to improve the safety and usefulness of the site as public parkland. The site cleanup consisted of removal of trees, shrubs and debris to meet several goals, all while preserving the majority of the beautiful plants across the park:
- Improve visibility and safety in the park
- Remove undesirable and invasive plan species per M-NCPPC Park policy
- Remove dead, dying and hazardous trees and tree limbs
A Tree and Shrub Survey (jpg,100kb) of the site has been completed with the help of Parks arborists and horticulture specialist from Brookside Gardens. An updated version will be available soon to include changes made over this past summer.
Now that the initial site cleanup is complete, Parks staff and the community will have a much better picture of the healthy vegetation that we have to work with as we develop a long-term Concept Plan and an interim improvement and planting plan for the park. The existing vegetative structure of the Park will be a great asset as we work collaboratively on a vision for this urban park.
Project Overview
This two-acre park provides a significant opportunity to create green open space for the use and enjoyment of urban residents in one of the most densely-populated Metro Station areas in Montgomery County.
Chevy Chase Open Space Urban Park is located within Chevy Chase Village, adjacent to the Friendship Heights business district and bordering the District of Columbia along Western Avenue. The two-acre park was acquired in 2002 through the Legacy Open Space Program as urban open space. Initial planning for the park started in late 2007 when a life estate on the property ceased. To date, site improvements to improve the site have included removal of two buildings and a driveway, remedial landscape work, and regular park maintenance efforts.
A Concept Plan that reflects the community’s vision for this new urban park is the first step in planning for the site. Contact us, we want to hear your opinions, so a variety of options will be available to the community to provide input to the Concept Planning process.
Two public meetings will be held to get public input in the initial visioning of the park. The first will be held on June 15, 2011 and the second will be this Winter 2012 to get feedback on draft concept plans. Community contacts are being identified to get additional speedy feedback through the concept design process between the two public meetings. Finally, this web page will be updated with meeting summaries, additional questions for public input, and updates on future opportunities for input.
Purpose of the Concept Plan
The Concept Plan will create a broad vision for this new urban park and provide the design concepts and parameters necessary to implement an interim improvement plan (short-term, low-cost park improvements) and to implement the full concept plan through the capital budget process (including Facility Planning and Final Design/Construction).
There are three implementation phases to the creation of a park on this site:
- Phase I: Site Cleanup – Started with building demolition in 2009; continues now with Non-Native Invasive (NNI) & hazardous vegetation removal, park signage, gate (implementation: as soon as possible)
- Phase II: Implementation of Interim Improvement Plan – Interim, low-cost improvements to the park to create a safe, usable park in the period between now and ultimate build-out. Could include interim paths, signage, landscape upgrades. The Interim Improvement Plan will be developed in coordination with the final Concept Plan to ensure compatibility with long-term vision for the park.
- Phase III: Implementation of full Concept Plan via Facility Planning then the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) process for final design/construction (implementation: depends on CIP schedule & funding)
Developing a Vision and Concept Plan for this important urban park is the critical first step to creating a beautiful, useful open space that will serve the surrounding communities.
Calendar & Meeting Notes
The calendar will be updated as more community meetings and events are planned for this project. Digital copies of the Meeting Notes and Planning Board Memos will be attached to each calendar event as it is completed.
| 2002 to 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time |
Notes and Presentations | Planning Stage | Topic for Discussion | Location | Description |
2002 |
Site Acquired as public parkland | Site acquired as Legacy Open Space urban open space. Partnered with Chevy Chase Village through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Property subject to a life estate (site not open for public use until ceases) | |
2007 |
Park comes into public use | Life estate ceases, Parks Department takes over responsibility for property. | |
2008 |
Initial Site Analysis & Site Cleanup Recommendations | ||
July 3, 2008 |
Staff report and Attachments also located in the Planning Board archives for that date - item #10 | M-NCPPC Planning Board b riefing on Park Planning process and proposed demolition of buildings (Resolution #02-01-08 of Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers) | Staff recommendation: Approve demolition of buildings in Chevy Chase Open Space Urban Park. Planning Board Action/Decision: Approved |
|
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2009 March - June |
Site Demolition Conducted | ||
2010 |
Site Cleanup Planning | Park cleanup efforts continue, including removal of dead, dying and hazardous trees, stabilization of site after demolition, etc. |
|
2011 |
|||
| Date | Time |
Notes and Presentations | Planning Stage | Topic for Discussion | Location | Description |
March – April |
Conduct Site Analysis and Prepare Outreach Strategy | Tree and Shrub Survey (jpg,100kb) - Survey site trees & vegetation, Assess area park & recreation resources. Analyze existing policy parameters. Identify target groups and methods for public outreach. Establish PDCO Team (Planning, Design, Construction, Operation), internal team to coordinate project |
|
April - June |
Initiate Public Outreach Strategy | ||
April 11 |
|
Chevy Chase Village Board meeting | Chevy Chase Open Space liaison committee established. Contact other community groups. |
June 15 |
PowerPoint Presentation (pdf, 1.6mb) |
Community Meeting #1 Chevy Chase Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD |
Purpose: Community briefing on facility analysis & policy framework. Develop a vision and preliminary program of amenities. |
July - November |
Staff develops concept plans for the park | Ongoing coordination with Chevy Chase Open Space Committee & other community representatives. Develop one to three concepts for site. | |
| December - January |
Park Staff review of Concept Plans | ||
2012 |
|||
| Date | Time |
Notes and Presentations | Planning Stage | Topic for Discussion | Location | Description |
February
|
Community Meeting #2 (TBD) | Purpose: To review and select Concept Plan preference, phasing, and recommended Program of Requirements; To confirm Interim Improvement Plan. | |
|
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February - March |
Park Staff finalizes the Preferred Concept Plan for presentation and approval by Planning Board | ||
|
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2012 April |
Place Concept Plan in the Park Development Division queue for Facility Planning funding through the CIP | Prioritization of this park for Facility Planning and Final Design/Construction funding in the next capital funding cycle (FY13-FY18) will depend on many factors. | |
Resources
Chevy Chase Village project web page: http://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/c/266/chevychaseopenspace
Contact
Brenda Sandberg, Project Manager
Park Planning & Stewardship Division, Legacy Open Space Section
Brenda.Sandberg@MontgomeryParks.org | 301-650-4360
Michael Younes, Chevy Chase Village Staff
Michael.Younes@montgomerycountymd.gov | 301-654-7300
back to top - Last update: June 8, 2012
Montgomery County Department of Parks