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2012 PROS Plan cover image 2012 Park Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan

THE FINAL PLAN
BACKGROUND
THE PLAN PROCESS
CONTACT US

The Final Plan

After an extensive public process the 2012 Park Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan(.pdf, 3.5MB) was approved by the Planning Board in July 2012.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Project Overview
  • Introduction 1
  • Purpose and Scope 1
  • Plan Outreach 2
  • Plan Recommendation Highlights 2

Chapter 2- Background, Existing Policies, and New Guidelines for Urban Parks
  • Background 9
  • Existing Park System and Policies 12
  • “A Policy for Parks” 17
  • New Guidelines for Urban Parks 18

Chapter 3 - Recreation and Parks
  • Introduction 25
  • State and Local Goals 25
  • Current County Implementation Programs 27
  • Needs Analysis and County Priorities for Lands, Facilities and Rehabilitation 29
  • Facilities In Need of Further Study 64
  • Responding To Trends 65
  • The 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act 66
  • Status of 2005 Plan Recommendations 66
  • County Priorities for Land Acquisition, Facility Development, Rehabilitation 66

Chapter 4 - Natural Resources Stewardship
  • Introduction 71
  • State and Local Goals 72
  • Current County Implementation Programs 76
  • Status of 2005 Pros Plan Recommendations 91
  • New Recommendations and Future Priorities 92

Chapter 5 - Cultural Resources Stewardship
  • Introduction 95
  • State and Local Goals 96
  • Status of 2005 Pros Plan Recommendations 100
  • New Recommendations and Future Priorities 101

Chapter 6 - Agricultural Land Preservation
  • Background and Chapter Context 103
  • Goals for Agricultural Land Preservation 107
  • Current Implementation Programs for Agricultural Land Preservation 109
  • Summary of Accomplishments and Farmland Preservation Goal 116

Appendices 119
  • Appendix 1 - 1993 General Plan Refinement of The Goals and Objectives for Montgomery County 121
  • Appendix 2 - Park System Inventory and Acreage 125
  • Appendix 3  - Proposed Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Fy13-18 127
  • Appendix 4  - M-NCPPC Land Acquisition Needs To The Year 2022 and Beyond 137
  • Appendix 5 - Calculating State Acquisition Goals 143
  • Appendix 6  - Athletic Field & Planning Area Projects Completed Since 2005 147
  • Appendix 7 - Development Priorities for Athletic Fields and Planning Area Facilities 149
  • Appendix 8 - Vision 2030 Parks and Recreation Amenity Analysis Chart 155
  • Appendix 9 - Total Population Projected By Planning Area 157
  • Appendix 10 - Non-MNCPPC Parks and Open Space In Montgomery County 159
  • Appendix 11 - Natural Resource Maps and Gis Data List of Deliverables 161
  • Appendix 12 -  Natural Resources Work Program 163
  • Appendix  13- Glossary of Definitions, Terms and Acronyms 165

List of Figures
  • Figure 1 - Montgomery County Park System Acreage Summary 12
  • Figure 2 - Current Urban Park Patterns 13
  • Figure 3  - The 2005 M-NCPPC Montgomery County Park Classification System 14
  • Figure 4 - New Park Classification System 15
  • Figure 5 - Role of Parks In The Open Space System 23
  • Figure 6 - Vision 2030 Survey Report - June 2010 32
  • Figure 7 - Pros Service Areas Map 33
  • Figure 8 - Countywide  Inventory, Future Needs and Service Delivery Strategies 36
  • Figure 9 - Athletic Fields - Inventory, Future Countywide Needs, and Service Delivery Matrix 57
  • Figure 10 - Future Recreation Needs for The Year 2022 By Planning Area 60
  • Figure 11 - Planning Areas - Inventory, Future Needs and Service Delivery Strategies 61
  • Figure 12 - The CIP Sifting Process 67
  • Figure 13 - Facilities Serving Planning Area Needs for 2022 and Beyond 69
  • Figure 14 - Facilities Serving Athletic Field Planning Area Needs for 2022 and Beyond 69
  • Figure 15 - Facilities Serving Countywide Needs for 2022 and Beyond 70
  • Figure 16 - Major Terrestrial Habitats of Montgomery County, Maryland 80
  • Figure 17 -  Natural Areas Within Existing Parkland 81
  • Figure 18 - Natural Resources Stewardship Accomplishments Since 2005 91
  • Figure 19 - Cultural Resources Asset Inventory - Historic Structures Top 25 As of 2011 102
  • Figure 20 -  Total Acreage In Preservation Per Program 109
  • Figure 21- Summary of MALPF Acquisitions for Fy2004 Through Fy2011 110
  • Figure 22 - Transfer Development Rights Prices Per Calendar Year 111
  • Figure 23 - Agricultural Easement Program(AEP) By Fiscal Year Through Fy11 112
  • Figure 24 - Protected Farmland Acres and Total Farmland Acres 116

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Background

Parks and open spaces are essential to the high quality of life for Montgomery County residents. In the future, one of the greatest challenges will be to balance recreation facilities needed for the active lifestyles of a growing population with the stewardship of our park system’s sensitive environmental and cultural resources. The 2012 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan will be a guide to meeting this challenge.

Montgomery County Parks, in coordination with Montgomery County Department of Recreation is preparing the 2012 PROS Plan. Guiding the 2012 PROS Plan is the recently completed Vision 2030 Strategic Plan for Parks and Recreation in Montgomery County, MD (Vision 2030 Strategic Plan - June 2011). The overall strategies and specific recommendations for the delivery of facilities, lands, and services are guided by the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan.

The PROS Plan represents a refinement of the overall framework for parks and recreation contained in the County's 1964 General Plan for the Maryland-Washington Regional District within Montgomery and Prince George’s County and in existing park acquisition and development guidelines.

Required by the State of Maryland to maintain Program Open Space funding, The PROS Plan is updated every six years to keep pace with changing patterns of needs in our county. The plan also serves as the County’s Local Land Preservation and Recreation Plan.

The final plan will compare the park and recreation facility needs for different areas of the County so that decision makers have the information necessary to establish priorities as the County’s population grows in an era of high competition for limited resources. The plan will also include updated information on Recreation Needs, Natural Resource Conservation, Historic/Cultural Resource Preservation and Agricultural land Preservation.

Cultural Resources bannerPurpose and Scope

The primary purpose of the Plan is to:

  • provide guidance regarding recreation facility needs in the county for the next 10 years.
  • recommend priorities for important natural and historic/cultural areas in Montgomery County that need to be preserved and interpreted.
  • provide input to area and park master plans regarding the need for public parkland and recreation facilities
  • help establish park acquisition and development priorities in the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP)

How is the 2012 PROS Plan Update different from the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan?
MNCPPC, Department of Parks, Montgomery County and the Department of Recreation have just completed the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan for Parks and Recreation in Montgomery County, MD which will significantly enhance the PROS Plan Update by its many recommendations and products. There are significant differences between the 2012 PROS Plan and the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan. The PROS Plan summarizes guiding policies. It also includes a park inventory and it estimates needs for neighborhood, community and countywide facilities, natural, historic/cultural and agricultural preservation and implementation.

The Vision 2030 Strategic Plan is much broader in scope, focusing on priorities rather than on specific needs for land acquisition and facilities. It addresses all aspects of operating the Parks and Recreation system, such as programming, facility renovation and construction, maintenance, operations, policing, management and marketing. The Vision 2030 Strategic Plan also helps us understand where generally underserved areas of the County are. Together, these two documents will enable us to set clear priorities for acquisition, renovation, and development of our Park System, as well as guide our recommendations in Area and Park Master Plans and the Capital Improvements Program.

Natural Resources Bannerback to top

The Plan Process

A great deal of the input for the 2012 PROS Plan is based on outreach from the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, including the statistically valid 2010 mail survey, public meetings, summits, and focus groups. Additional outreach includes obtaining input from recreation and park advisory boards, focus groups and public meetings on the draft proposals.

Calendar and Meeting Notes

The Plan schedule and presentation materials are listed on the calendar below. You may also want to review all outreach from the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan including, Surveys, public meeting notes, and focus group notes.

DATES / TIMES EVENTS & MEETING NOTES LOCATIONS
2011    
February 24 Work Program approved by Planning Board and submitted to State
Planning Board Agenda item #5
- Staff memo (PDF)		 M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
Fall Focus group meetings held where needed
Fall Develop Draft Plan Preliminary Recommendations
2012  
January Countywide Recreation Advisory Board (RAB) Meeting
January 24 Down-county Public Meeting on Preliminary Plan Recommendations
- meeting notice flyer (PDF, 330KB)
- Draft Recommended Service Delivery Strategies - PDF, 989KB
- Workstations Public Comments (PDF, 262KB).		 M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
January 25

Upcounty Public Meeting on Preliminary Plan Recommendations
- meeting notice flyer (PDF, 330KB)
- Draft Recommended Service Delivery Strategies - PDF, 989KB
- PowerPoint presentation (PDF, 909KB)
- Workstations Public Comments (PDF, 262KB)

UpCounty Service Center,
12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown, MD

April 12

Planning Board Staff Draft Review - Agenda Item #5
Review of Staff Draft PROS Plan and request for approval to send to State as Draft, in conformance with Maryland State Guidelines. (no public testimony will be taken)
Staff Memo
- DRAFT PROS Plan
- PowerPoint

M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
- Please check the meeting agenda as the meeting
approaches to confirm an approx. time.
May 24

Public Hearing
Staff Memo (1 PAGE, PDF, 1MB); Attachement 2: Draft 2012 PROS Plan Public Hearing Draft (160 PAGE, PDF, 3MB)

M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
- Please check the agenda closer to the day of the meeting.
To sign and to check time of item call 301-495-4600. Email written
testimony to mcp-chair@mncppc-mc.org or mail to: Planning Board Chairman,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

June 28

Planning Board Work session #1 - Agenda item #7
- Staff memo (pdf)
- PowerPoint Presentation (pdf)

M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
- Please check the Planning Board agenda website for updates and tentative times
July 19

Planning Board Work session #2 - Agenda item #5
- Staff Memo(pdf)
- Draft PROS Plan(pdf)
Request Planning Board Approval of Plan

 M-NCPPC Regional Office Building Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
- Please check the Planning Board agenda website for updates and tentative times
August Development of final plan, Executive Summary and materials requested by the State  
October

Submit Approved Plan, Executive Summary and additional materials to the Maryland Departments of State Planning and Natural Resources

 2012 Park Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan(.pdf, 3.5MB)
Novemer 8 Presentation to the Montgomery County Council PHED Committee

Contact Us

For more information, contact Brooke.Farquhar@montgomeryparks.org.

back to top - Last update: January 24, 2013