Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan
Project Update | Background | Plan Highlights | Meeting Calendar & Notes | Contact
Project Update
The Planning Board will held a final worksession on this plan on September, 25th to review the Public Hearing testimony and to approve and adopt final draft plan. A copy of the final plan will be available here shortly.
On September 11, the Montgomery County Planning Board will held a Public Hearing on the Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Public Hearing Draft (2.8MB, .PDF) in the Planning Board Auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. All those on our e-mail list received notice of the Public Hearing. If you need a paper copy of the Plan, please call 301-650-4370.
Contact the project manager, Lyn Coleman at 301-650-4391 or by email at: Lyn.Coleman@montgomeryparks.org if you have questions about the Plan or would like to be added to our email list.
Background
The Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor stretches from the Rock Creek Regional Park to the Patuxent River.
The Countywide Park Trails Plan (1998) identified the need to study this corridor in more detail. In 2006, the Planning Board approved the plan objectives, plan schedule and the public participation element of the Upper Rock Creek Trail corridor Plan. Two community meetings were held to discuss plan issues and opportunities. Those attending the meetings generally expressed support for the concept of an interconnected trail network.
As noted in the Staff Draft Plan text, the issue of trail connectivity in this part of the county has been addressed by many previous plans, including the Upper Rock Creek Community Master Plan, the Rock Creek Regional Park Master Plan and the Rachel Carson Greenway Plan.
The Staff Draft Upper Rock Creek Master Plan creates a cohesive trail system based on the recommendations of these previously approved and adopted master plans (see the Staff DraftPlan).
Plan Highlights
This Plan
1. Almost doubles the length of trails now available in the corridor. In addition to providing a linear connection from Rock Creek Regional Park to the Patuxent River, the Plan proposes a xx mile loop trail that will be open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikes.
2. Endorses the extension of a hard surface trail from Rock Creek Regional Park to Olney.
3. Proposes a new alternative to link the Rock Creek hiker-biker trail to the Lake Frank trail network.
4. Proposes a location for a mountain bike challenge course at George Carson Farm Special Park.
5. Identifies mill sites for potential future interpretation.
The most significant plan issue relates to the proposal to provide a mountain bike challenge course in the trail corridor at the George Carson Special Park. This issue is discussed on pages x to x in the Staff Draft Plan. At present, the main access to the George Carson Special Park is along a residential street, Barcellona Drive. As shown in Figure 2, there are xx homes with driveways along Barcellona Drive. Although staff is recommending that a future facility plan explore a new entrance to the park from Fieldcrest Road, for the interim time period, access to the park and proposed mountain bike challenge course would be from Barcellona Drive. Staff will explore this issue in more detail with the Planning Board following the Public Hearing.
If you have questions or are interested in adding your name to an e-mail distribution list, please forward your e-mail address to Lyn.Coleman@mncppc-mc.org or call 301-650-4391. We look forward to hearing from you!
Meeting Calendar & Notes
Hot links to review Meeting Notes and Planning Board memos will be attached to each calendar event as it is completed.
NOTE: Please keep checking this calendar as community meetings will be added to the schedule
| Proposed | |
TIMING |
STEP |
| May 3, 2006 |
Community "Kick-Off" Meeting - Meeting Summary |
July 13, 2006 |
Issues & Outreach Staff Draft Report for Approval by the M-NCPPC Planning Board - Staff Memo (.pdf) |
Winter 2006 |
Staff Draft / Community Meetings on Plan Concepts and Options |
|
October 3, 2007 |
Community Meeting on Plan Alternatives - Shady Grove Maintenance Facility, 16641 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD - Meeting Summary |
June 19, 2008 |
M-NCPPC Planning Board Worksession - Item #8 - Approved for Public Hearing Date, Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Staff Draft (no public testimony will be taken) . M-NCPPC Auditorium - Meeting Review and Staff Draft & Memo Item #8. |
| Sept.11, |
M-NCPPC Planning Board Public Hearing - Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Staff Draft M-NCPPC Auditorium - 8787 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 - a copy of the draft plan will be available here shortly.To sign up to testify, please call 301-495-4600, sign up online or send your testimony via email to the Planning Board.Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Public Hearing Draft (2.8MB, .PDF) |
| Sept.25, 2008 |
During a final worksession, the Planning Board approved and adopted the Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan. Updated copies of the plan will be available shortly. |
Contact
Brooke Farquhar 301-650-4388 - Brooke.Farquhar @montgomeryparks.org
Last Update: October 1, 2008
