Montgomery Parks Long Branch-Wayne Local Park Renovation Project Community Meeting #2 September 20, 2016 Oak View Elementary School 7:00-9:00 PM
Welcome / Team Introductions M-NCPPC (Montgomery Parks) Park Development Division Park Planning & Stewardship Division Park Management Staff - Southern Region Park Police
Tonight s Meeting PART 1: Review of community meeting #1: site analysis and results of discussion, community comments. Review proposed program elements for the park. Present four (4) park renovation concept plans. PART 2: Gather community input on the four concepts: Discussion of concept plan pros & cons, for use in identifying a preferred concept.
Site Analysis Recap
Site Analysis Existing Park Amenities Circulation & Access Environmental Resources Site Topography & Drainage Master Plan Guidance
Site Analysis Existing Park Amenities: Parking Lot (18 spaces) Picnic Shelter** Playground Open Lawn Area Rectangular Field** Softball Backstop (overlay) Basketball Court (Full) Site Furnishings (Picnic Tables, Trash Receptacles, etc.) **Park Permit Facility
Preliminary Opportunities Circulation / Access: + Improve existing entrances to the park. + Consider establishing new park entrances and improving the existing connection to the pedestrian bridge that crosses Long Branch. + Improve existing pathways and stair connections. + Consider new path connections between amenities. + Incorporate streetscape improvements from the Master Plan guidance.
Environmental Resources (Resource Atlas) + Steep Slopes (>15%, >25%) + Erodible Soils + Streams + Stream Buffer + 100-year Floodplain + Forests + Non-Native Invasive plant removals.
Preliminary Opportunities Environment / Safety: + Improve views into the park by controlling understory plantings (non-native invasive plant removal) and pruning existing trees.
Preliminary Opportunities Environment / Safety: + Improve views into the park by controlling understory plantings (non-native invasive plant removal) and pruning existing trees. + Remove invasive plants along Long Branch stream buffer and enhance with new native plantings. + Maintain and enhance tree canopy with new plantings where appropriate.
Site Topography & Drainage + 40 foot elevation change across site.
Site Topography & Drainage + 40 foot elevation change across site. + Drainage patterns + Existing Sand Filter SWM Basin
Site Topography & Drainage + 40 foot elevation change across site + Drainage patterns + Sand Filter SWM Basin + Erosion on steep slopes foot traffic between amenities.
Ways of improving eroded slopes could consider an alternative play feature
Master Plan Guidance 2012 Parks Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS) Recommended amenities for this area of Montgomery County: Community Open Space Rectangular Field Basketball Court Urban Wooded Areas
Questionnaire Summary
Meeting #1 Questionnaire
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary What s the best thing about Long Branch-Wayne Park today? Large open spaces with trees and shade. Close to nature with a small-scale park-like feel. Park is not overbuilt or overdeveloped. Serves as a community gathering space. Park is well used and has multiple activities available for everyone, including the playground, picnic shelter, athletic field, and basketball court.
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary What s the worst thing about Long Branch-Wayne Park today? Maintenance concerns related to trash collection, portajohn enclosure, stormwater basin, and lawn mowing. Soccer field is overused and is in poor condition. Lack of parking, parking overflows into the neighborhood on weekends. Criminal/illicit activity. Playground is too small and has broken equipment.
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary What elements of the park today should be improved as the park is renovated? Better manage the maintenance, surface condition, use, and permitting of the rectangular field. Improve pedestrian connectivity (that is ADA compliant) within the park and beyond the park s property. Increase visibility into the park, while preserving and enhancing shade trees and vegetative buffers. Coordinate event programming in the park on weekends. Increase policing and monitoring of park use, especially on weekends.
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary What elements of the park today should be improved as the park is renovated? Add more parking spaces within the park to reduce overflow onto neighboring streets. Explore on-street parking restrictions. Improve pedestrian safety along E. Wayne Avenue and University Blvd. Move the playground to a more visible location and closer to other park amenities, like the picnic shelter. Enhance the stormwater management pond and consider a fence enclosure. General upgrading of existing amenities, paving surfaces, structures, and furnishings.
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary Are there any new amenities that should be added to the park? Loop path for exercise ( heart-smart trail) Additional parking Seating Bike racks Dog park Public artwork with community participation Drinking fountain
Meeting #1 Questionnaire - Summary Are there any new amenities that should be added to the park? Water play (spray) feature Skateboard area Environmental education connection to Long Branch. Lighting Small performance area for music or other activities.
Park Program
Proposed Park Program Based on the results from the Community Meeting #1 Questionnaire and input from Park Staff, the approach to developing the Proposed Park Program included the following big picture considerations: Upgrade the existing major amenities in the park (i.e. improve what we have ). Address parking to alleviate impacts to the adjacent neighborhood. Avoid adding new major elements, amenities or activities to the park that might result in more traffic and regional use (i.e. Dog Park).
Proposed Park Program Playground Picnic Shelter Rectangular Field Softball backstop (will study relocation) Basketball Court Parking Lot minimum of 50 total spaces Community Open Space Public art Urban Wooded Areas
Proposed Park Program (Cont.) Sidewalk/Streetscape Improvements Accessible pedestrian bridge crossing at Long Branch Pathways + Heart-smart Loop Exercise equipment Site furnishings (seating, bike racks, drinking fountain, etc.) Landscape Buffer Tree Preservation Non-Native Invasive Plant Removals
Concept Design Process
Concept Development
Concept Development
Concepts that considered a Dog Park Dog Park Design Criteria: Size: Minimum 10,000 Square Feet, ideally 20,000 SF. Location: 200 feet from residential areas. Other Criteria: Easy to construct (low impacts), connection to public water, perimeter fence, etc. Long Branch-Wayne Site: Within 200 of residential areas. Additional parking on site would be needed (>75 spaces). Minimum dog park size posed substantial impacts to the site requiring multiple retaining walls. Basketball court needed to be removed under Concepts 7 and 8. M-NCPPC Dog Parks nearby: 1. Ellsworth Dog Park: Opened Summer 2016, 20,000 SF size with separate large dog / small dog areas. 2 miles away. 2. Wheaton Regional Park: 4 miles away.
Park Renovation Concepts
Concept 1 Parking access from E. Wayne Ave. (2 access points). Widen E. Wayne Ave. Relocate softball backstop. Tall fence at soccer field. Picnic Shelter & Basketball Court remain in current locations. Playground relocated up hill. New pedestrian bridge crossing Long Branch. Rectangular field renovation with irrigation.
Concept 2 Identical to Concept 1, except the following: Parking access from E. Wayne Ave. (1 point of access). Basketball relocated near playground. Playground relocated up hill, with sloping play features.
Concept 3 Parking access from E. Wayne Ave. and University & Glenville (one-way), with improved turning radius. Easement needed from HOA. Relocate softball backstop. Playground relocated up hill next to new parking lot. Loop path around field + new exercise equipment. New pedestrian bridge crossing Long Branch. Rectangular field renovation with irrigation.
Concept 4 Identical to Concept 3, except the following: Picnic Shelter relocated next to new parking lot. Playground relocated to top of hill (in place of picnic shelter), including hillside play elements.
Preferred Concept? Is there a Preferred Concept? Are there specific aspects of a plan that work better than others? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of how the amenities are arranged?
Preferred Concept? Is there a Preferred Concept? Are there specific aspects of a plan that work better than others? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of how the amenities are arranged? Red Dot-Green Dot Exercise Each person has two (2) Red Dot stickers and two (2) Green Dot stickers. = Prefer = Do Not Prefer Place the stickers on the concepts of your choosing. Feel free to write notes on the plan using the markers provided.
Project Schedule & Next Steps Fall 2015 Project Kick-off: Assess site conditions, opportunities and constraints, and preliminary program. March 2016 Community Meeting #1 to gather input and preferences for the park. Summer 2016 Develop park renovation design concepts based on input from the Community and Park Staff. September 2016 Community Meeting #2, review design concepts and obtain input from the community. Winter 2016 Develop preferred park renovation concept based on community input, obtain preliminary permits, and develop cost estimate. Late Spring 2017 Planning Board Meeting Fall 2017 If approved, the project will be included in the FY 19-24 CIP (Capital Improvements Program).
Contact Information & Reminders THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING! Please fill out your contact information so that we can keep you up-to-date on the plan s progress. Please fill out the questionnaire with your comments. If more time is needed, please send all comments and questions by Tuesday, October 4, 2016 via email or mail. Please take a Concept Plan handout. Project Manager Contact: Lucas Bonney Parkside Headquarters 9500 Brunett Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901 Lucas.Bonney@montgomeryparks.org 301-495-2572
Montgomery Parks Long Branch-Wayne Local Park Renovation Project Community Meeting #2 September 20, 2016 Oak View Elementary School 7:00-9:00 PM