Wheaton Regional Park – Master Plan Update

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Division: Park Planning and Stewardship

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Visioning the Future of Wheaton Regional Park

This plan has been on-hold since 2016 and will re-commence during Fall 2019

M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks is updating the 1987 Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan (PDF, 6.5MB). Throughout the planning process there will be Public and Planning Board meetings, in addition to an online comment tool (coming) so you can tell us what you want for this park. – traducción de esta página web (PDF, 1MB)

Update

We have been working on this plan since 2014 but put it on hold in 2016.  We developed preliminary staff-level recommendations which can be found here (coming soon).  Through 2016, we conducted extensive outreach to various stakeholders.

During fall 2019, we will be seeking further input from residents who live immediately adjacent to the park, with a focus on outreach to Hispanic/Latino, African American and Asian communities.   We want to make sure we gather ideas and suggestions for park improvements from these diverse communities during numerous events and festivals both in the park as well as in the greater Wheaton area.  We also will be reaching out to apartment communities, faith institutions and schools in the park’s vicinity and identifying community leaders who can help us reach stakeholders who traditionally have not necessarily been engaged during park master plans.

Project Background

THE PARK TODAY | MASTER PLAN UPDATE

The current Master Plan for Wheaton Regional Park (PDF, 7MB) was created in 1987. Many of the plan’s recommendations have been built or implemented.  The park is vibrant, but aging.  Despite its popularity, staff believes the park could better serve the nearby and adjacent communities as well as all county residents. This update is needed to reflect the many changes that have occurred over the last 30 plus years within the community and within the park and to plan for future growth. – traducción de esta página web (PDF, 1MB)

The Park Today

Over 50 years old, Wheaton Regional Park is nestled in a forested area of Wheaton, Maryland and is the largest downcounty park in the County. The park was established in 1960, incorporating several large parcels of land into one of the county’s finest parks. Visitors can enjoy a variety of recreational and educational opportunities within its 536 acres. The Park has developed into three distinct areas with three separate entrances to each unique area.

• The Shorefield Area with picnic shelters, an adventure playground, a miniature train and carousel, Pine Lake and numerous trails.
• The Glenallan Area with Brookside Gardens, Brookside Nature Center and Horse Stables.
• The Orebaugh Area with the F. Frank Rubini Athletic Complex, indoor tennis and court facilities, the ice arena, the Wheaton Sports Pavilion, and dog park.

Master Plan Update

The Master Plan Update will detail a visionary plan that “balances recreation and stewardship” and promotes “an environment fit for life, and fit for living.”

This update will also address the 1987 recommendations that have not been completed as well as other issues that emerge from the community outreach and other planning efforts. Some of the Master Plan issues to be addressed as part of the update will include:

• Access and Visibility: Wheaton Regional Park has no obvious entrance. The Plan will evaluate solutions such as improved signage, and possibly new entrances.
• Nature Center: The current facility is aging and the Plan will explore whether it could be renovated, rebuilt or relocated.
• Mix of Athletic Fields: Soccer fields, needed in this area of the County, do not exist in the park today. The Plan will study the potential for rectangular fields.
• Roads and Parking in the Athletic Complex: Current layout is inefficient and confusing. The Plan will examine redesign of the system.
• Picnic Area near Shorefield: The existing area is so popular that it can’t meet the demand. The Plan will seek to expand the picnicking facilities.
• Trails: Connections are poor or lacking to other parks and the Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park toward Silver Spring. The Plan will explore new/revised trails, both hard surface and natural surface.
• Underutilized Areas: Several portions of the park are seldom used. The Plan will look for opportunities for activating these areas.
• Facilities and Infrastructure: Some facilities and infrastructure need improvement or replacement. The Plan will determine what improvements to make and in what sequence.
• Cultural Heritage Interpretation: The Plan will determine how best to tell the story of the Park’s history and heritage.
• Americans with Disabilities Act compliance: The Plan will recommend how to improve accessibility in all areas of the park.
• Natural Resources: The Plan will address improvements to the natural resources such as removing non-native invasive species from the mature forested areas.
• Mix of Amenities: The Plan will study how to best meet identified needs in the area.
• Park Area: The Plan will explore potential land acquisitions to expand park acreage to accommodate needed amenities
• Other issues that are determined as part of the community outreach effort.

back to top – traducción de esta página web (PDF, 1MB

Public Input & Outreach

Tell Us What You Think

Ideas for this project are welcome any time throughout the planning process. There are a number of opportunities for you to share your ideas and provide input using:

• Town Hall online public comment tool 
  – public comments as of 8/4/16 (PDF, 236KB)
• Online Questionnaire – coming Fall 2019
• E-mail – send us your address and we will add you to our email list
• Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
• Por favor comuníquese con asistencia Español: Alex Girr-Borrayo – Alex.Girr-Borrayo@montgomeryparks.org | (301) 495-2497

Public Outreach

Park planning staff will be attending numerous community meetings and events during fall 2019 and winter 2020 to talk about the park master plan update and to hear ideas, issues and concerns from the community. After this, we will present staff-level recommendations to the Planning Board in Spring 2020. Meeting dates and minutes will be posted on this site, once they have been set. The current schedule for the plan is listed in the chart below.

We will rely on this web page to keep residents and stakeholders updated throughout the planning process. Interested citizens and civic groups are encouraged to contact the project manager to become part of our e-mail lists. Public outreach for this project will include this project web page, public meetings, press releases and email campaigns to Homeowner and Civic Associations in the Clarksburg Planning Area. We will also use our Online comment tool, E-newsletter, social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, and the Parks Department Media Center.

Calendar and Meeting Notes

The calendar will be updated with exact dates and times as soon as they can be reserved. Links to presentation materials, meeting notes and memos will be posted for each event as soon as they are available.

Media Center

This is where we will post links to press releases, print articles and community links regarding this project.  If you would like to see additional links added to this site, please contact the Project Coordinator.

• Press Release Fall 2019 (coming soon)
• NOVEMBER 17, 2015 – MEDIA RELEASE: Montgomery Parks Seeks Public Input on Future Updates to Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan

Stay in Touch

To submit written comments or request more information, please contact:

Chuck Kines – Charles.Kines@montgomeryparks.org | 301-495-2184
M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks, 9500 Brunett Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20901

Por favor comuníquese con asistencia Español: Alex Girr-Borrayo – Alex.Girr-Borrayo@montgomeryparks.org | (301) 495-2497

– traducción de esta página web (PDF, 1MB)

– Last update: September 2019