Montgomery Parks Receives $5.495 Million in Funding from the State of Maryland; 13 Projects Will Be Funded

Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, received $5.495 million in capital funding for 13 projects from the state of Maryland during the 2023 legislative session. The funding will be used towards park projects in six legislative districts in Montgomery County that include trail and bridge projects, playground and athletic field improvements, sports court and skatepark amenities, community garden and picnic facilities, environmental restoration, and ADA enhancements.   

“Once again, we appreciate the support of the Montgomery County delegation and the entire Maryland General Assembly. These grants will help us deliver needed projects across the county for all our residents to enjoy,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. Capital grant-funded projects for FY 23 include: 

• Fairland Recreational Park – existing athletic court conversion/renovation, court and parking lot lighting, and parking lot/ADA improvements (District 14) – $250,000 – sponsored by Senator Craig Zucker and Delegates Anne Kaiser, Bernice Mireku-North and Pamela Queen
• Greenwood Local Park – mini-refresher with new dedicated pickleball courts (District 14) – $250,000 – sponsored by Senator Craig Zucker and Delegates Anne Kaiser, Bernice Mireku-North and Pamela Queen
• McKnew Local Park – mini-refresher for loop trails and court improvements (District 14) – $250,000 – sponsored by Senator Craig Zucker and Delegates Anne Kaiser, Bernice Mireku-North and Pamela Queen
• Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park – park improvements including a skate park and overlook swings – (District 14) – $300,000 – sponsored by Senator Craig Zucker and Delegates Anne Kaiser, Bernice Mireku-North and Pamela Queen
• Muddy Branch Stream Valley Unit 3 – bridge replacement, outfall restoration, walkway and ADA improvements (District 15) – $200,000 – sponsored by Senator Brian Feldman and Delegates Linda Foley, David Fraser-Hidalgo and Lily Qi
• Cabin John Regional Park – Shirley Povich Field irrigation upgrades (District 16; project in District 15) – $800,000 – sponsored by Senator Brian Feldman and Delegate Marc Korman
• Maplewood–Alta Vista Local Park – mini-refresher with court rehabilitation, picnic area improvements, draining improvements, and parking lot/ADA improvements (District 16) – $500,000 – sponsored by Senator Ariana Kelly and Delegates Marc Korman, Sara Love and Sarah Wolek
• Wheaton Forest Local Park – mini-refresher with picnic shelter and restroom upgrades, stormwater management, parking lot/ADA improvements, and court conversion (District 18) – $195,000 – sponsored by Senator Jeffrey Waldstreicher and Delegates Aaron Kaufman, Emily Shetty and Jared Solomon
• Dalewood Playground – Design of playground and open space improvements near Connecticut Ave. and Viers Mill Rd. (District 18) – $250,000 – sponsored by Senator Jeffrey Waldstreicher and Delegates Aaron Kaufman, Emily Shetty and Jared Solomon
• Rock Creek Regional Park – Mini-Refresher with picnic area improvements, parking lot/ADA improvements, SWM, and new playground (District 19) – $400,000 – sponsored by Senator Ben Kramer and Delegates Charlotte Crutchfield, Bonnie Cullison and Vaughn Stewart III  
• Stonehedge Local Park – mini-refresher with community gardens, court upgrades, and trail improvements (District 20) – $150,000 – sponsored by Senator Will Smith and Delegates Lorig Charkoudian, David Moon and Jheanelle Wilkins
• Long Branch Parks Initiative – improvements to various Long Branch parks (District 20) – $250,000 – sponsored by Senator Will Smith and Delegates Lorig Charkoudian, David Moon and Jheanelle Wilkins

The department also received $1.7 million in funding to construct portions of the Powerline Trail, a 13-mile natural-surface and paved trail that will connect South Germantown Recreational Park to Cabin John Regional Park. The existing portion, completed in May 2018, is a 6-mile trail that uses the Pepco right-of-way to connect South Germantown Recreational Park with the Muddy Branch Stream Valley Park in North Potomac. This funding will support the construction of the paved trail from Cabin John Regional Park towards Muddy Branch SVP.