Seneca Crossing Local Park
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Project Description
This project develops a facility plan for a new 27.8 acre park, located along Brink Road near Route 27 (Ridge Road) in Germantown, and 1.5 miles from I-270. The scope of facility planning includes preparing a site analysis, 30% design of a preferred plan for the park, determination of regulatory feasibility, and a cost estimate for the project. Upon completion of facility planning, the project will be proposed in the parks Capital Improvements Program to obtain funding for final design and construction. If approved, construction could begin in 5 years at the earliest.
Background
The land for the park was deeded to the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission by Winchester Homes in 1998 for use as a local park, and it is in proximity to Ridge Road Recreational Park and an adjacent development of single family homes. The property is a long rectangle with relatively level open spaces and was pre-graded by the residential developer in preparation for park development. Route 27 and Brink Road were recently improved to provide good vehicular access to the future park. Local parks often have large service areas and typically provide active recreational facilities, such as permitted athletic fields, hard surfaced courts or facilities, picnic and playground areas, and sometimes recreation buildings and other facilities.
Status/Project Update
Design consultants were hired in September, 2009, to complete a design for Seneca Crossing Local Park. The first public meeting for facility planning of the park was held by M-NCPPC - Department of Parks, on February 18, 2010 (snow-date) at the Up-County Government Center in Germantown. The meeting was well attended with over 50 community members in addition to M-NCPPC staff and Consultant team. Project information was presented including park background, site analysis, and illustrative concepts typical for a local park. There was a question and answer period followed by a small group brain-storming session to get ideas about what should go into the future park.
Next Steps: The Consultant will be completing geotechnical work, preparing the Program of Requirements (POR) for the park, and designing four different alternative plans that will be presented in the future, at a second public meeting (see schedule below).
Your continued interest and input is still needed and appreciated. M-NCPPC has not made decisions yet on future facilities for the park, or how intensively facilities will be programmed for use. Selection of park facilities will be based on:
- Planning area needs for recreation
- Public input from meetings, letters, emails, surveys, and petitions
See minutes from Public Meeting #1
See summary table of Written Public Input
See summary table of Neighborhood Survey
- Site potential and limitations
- Typical facilities and uses for a local park
- Regulatory agency requirements
Please Note: The Department of Parks, M-NCPPC did not issue a survey for this park project. A survey with a letter and park concept plan, were recently distributed within the Cedar Valley neighborhood. This survey was created and distributed by someone other than M-NCPPC and contained some inaccuracies and/or incomplete information.
The following information is provided to clarify items that have caused some concern:
- The meeting was attended by 50 citizens and approximately half of the attendees were cricket players from upper Montgomery County.
- The illustrations shown in the presentation included one, two or three fields, along with other site features and landscaped areas. None of the illustrations showed parking abutting homes along Virginia Pine Terrace.
- The maximum number of large fields that can fit on the site is two.
- The fields will not be lighted, and it is unlikely that there would be state-wide tournaments held on the fields.
- The survey did not include all facilities requested to date for Seneca Crossing Local Park such as volleyball, a skate-park, dog-park, and sledding area.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| September 2009 | Facility Planning begins, site analysis and preliminary concept plans are developed | |
| December 2009 | Review preliminary concepts with regulatory agencies | |
| February 18, 2010 7:00-9:00pm |
Community Meeting #1 obtain input and ideas and review preliminary concepts for the new park |
Up-County Government Center 12900 Middlebrook Road Germantown, MD |
| Summer 2010 | Develop four alternative park plans | |
| Fall 2010 | Community Meeting #2 Review and discuss four alternatives and preferred design ideas |
|
| Fall/Winter 2010 | Develop preferred design plan | |
| Winter 2010/2011 | Community Meeting #3 Review and discuss preferred plan |
|
| Winter 2011 | Refine preferred plan, obtain preliminary permits, develop cost estimate | |
| June 2011 | Planning Board Meeting (open for public testimony) for approval of facility plan | M-NCPPC 8787 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring, MD |
M-NCPPC Staff Contact
Heidi Sussmann, Project Manager
Heidi.Sussmann@MontgomeryParks.org
301-495-2547
Date of last update: May 10, 2010
Montgomery County Department of Parks