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Park Recreation & Ancillary Buildings Study

Project Update

The Montgomery County Council is currently debating the Parks Department FY 2008 operating budget and discussing options for bringing the operating budget to the County Executives recommended level of funding.

The Study

The Department of Parks currently maintains thirty-one small-to-medium buildings throughout the county that are often used for birthday parties, community events and small classes. Use of these buildings is managed through the Park Permit Office. Recently, all thirty-one buildings were reviewed for current condition, level of use and maintenance requirements.

An assessment of the park recreation and ancillary buildings was conducted by parks department staff in conjunction with a study by Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), a consultant to the Department of Parks. This study found that many of the recreation buildings are underutilized and will require major repairs. The recreation buildings were sorted into four preliminary categories:

  1. Continue and Improve
  2. Evaluate and Market
  3. Transfer or Demolish
  4. Assess Historical Priority.

Study Results

An initial staff report (item #12b) was presented to the Montgomery County Planning Board (MCPB) on June 28, 2007 outlining the assessment’s findings and preliminary staff recommendations.

Five recreation buildings were identified as being possible candidates for demolition or transfer to another public agency. These were placed in the Transfer or Demolish category, and active outreach with the impacted communities is underway. Summaries of these buildings are available by clicking on "Public Input Needed" in the Quick Links bar to the right.

One recreation building was placed in the Assess Historical Priority category and is currently undergoing a separate assessment to determine its historical signficance. A summary of this building is also available by clicking on "Public Input Needed" in the Quick Links bar to the right.

The remaining eighteen recreation buildings were placed in one of two categories: Continue and Improve or Evaluate and Market. It is believed that the underutilization in these buildings is at least partly due to lack of awareness. As a result, a three-year marketing campaign will be developed to increase awareness and use of these public buildings. After three years, the use and condition of these buildings will be reevaluated.

Next Steps

The next and most important step in this process is to take these preliminary recommendations to the communities, individuals and groups impacted by the potential changes. At this time, staff is seeking input from the public on buildings in the “Transfer or Demolish” and “Historic Priority” Categories. As noted on our public meetings calendar, several meetings and discussions have already taken place and many more will occur over the next several months.

Our hope is to return to the Planning Board in February 2008 with a progress report containing recommendations that balance community need and input with the reality of the building condition assessment results.

NOTE: No final decisions have been made, and none will be made in the immediate future. The Planning Board, our governing body, was briefed on assessment results and proposed outreach strategies in June before staff engaged the public in discussion. This has been our greatest lesson learned; taking our findings to the Planning Board first has led to the mistaken perception that the preliminary recommendations are in fact final decisions. They are not.

Hope that you will send your thoughts and comments to us.
You can also request a member of our staff to attend your upcoming public meeting.To do so, please e-mail us at: MCP-RecBuilding@mncppc.org or call 301-650-4389.