Little Bennett Regional Park - Day Use Area
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Design Approach
Project Description
This project develops a facility plan for a new Day Use Area, located at 23701 Frederick Road (MD 355) in Clarksburg. The scope of the project includes developing a natural resources inventory, landscape architecture, architecture, engineering, environmental site design and cost estimating to provide up to 30% completed construction documents. The intent is to complete the facility plan before summer of 2011 in order to include the project in the parks FY 13-18 Capital Improvements Program and obtain funding for final design and construction.
Background
The 2007 Little Bennett Regional Park Master Plan recommended developing a Day Use Area, approximately 65 acres on the western edge of the park to welcome people and provide them with an overview of the natural and cultural interpretive opportunities of the park. The site consists primarily of rolling hills, open meadow areas, stream valleys and edge ecosystems that provide valuable non-forested habitats. The culturally rich and ecologically diverse landscape provides a unique setting for the project. The program of requirements recommended for the Day Use Area are nature based and include a Visitor Welcome and Nature Center, group picnic areas, nature based adventure playground, group camp fire ring, amphitheatre, interpretive landscape gardens and trails. However, the scope of the Visitor Center has been put on hold and is not included in the Facility Plan scope of work, due to lack of current resources to expand programming of nature and visitors centers within the park system.
Status/Project Update
The facility plan was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board on October 6, 2011. This project is proposed in the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for design in Fiscal Years 2017-18 and construction starting beyond Fiscal Year (FY) 2018.
As recommended by the 2007 Little Bennett Regional Park Master Plan, an interim project to provide a public park entrance along MD Route 355 is planned and currently funded with State grants and matching funding from the FY 2012-13 CIP. It is considered Phase 1 and includes a vehicular entrance, signage, access drive, parking area, terrace and picnic area. The intent of the project is to design and obtain permits for the entire Phase 1 study area, and construct an interim entrance within the initial budget. This will work toward permanent improvement of the Day Use Area and provide a safe and functional visitor access to the site from MD Route 355. The project is in the procurement process anticipating detailed design and construction documentation in FY 2012 and construction of the interim entrance in FY 2013.
Calendar and Meeting Notes
Opportunities for public participation are shown below. Links to review meeting notes and Planning Board memos will be attached to each applicable calendar event as it is scheduled and completed.
DATE/TIME |
DISCUSSION AND MEETING NOTES |
LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Fall - Winter 2009 | Facility Planning begins. Pre-design (project preparation, survey, data collection,site reconnaissance, design research) | |
| Spring 2010 | Develop program of requirements Procurement of multi-disciplinary consultant |
|
| Spring - Summer 2010 | Schematic Design, develop design approch and concept | |
| Sept. 29, 2010 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. |
Community Meeting to obtain input from the community | Cedarbrook Community Church 23700 Stringtown Road Clarksburg, MD 20871 |
| May 23, 2011 | Project presented to the Clarksburg Civic Association for comments | |
| June 15, 2011 | Project presented to the Up-County Recreation Advisory Board for comments | |
| Spring/Summer 2011 | Finalize design, refine preferred plan, obtain preliminary permits, develop cost estimate | |
| October 6, 2011 | Planning Board Meeting for approval of facility plan (open for public testimony) * Facility Plan Report * Staff Memo * Appendices |
M-NCPPC (Auditorium) 8787 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
M-NCPPC Staff Contact
Ching-Fang Chen, Project Manager/Landscape Architect
Ching-Fang.Chen@MontgomeryParks.org
301-495-2557
Date of last update: March 30, 2012
Montgomery County Department of Parks