Last month we let you know that City of Gaithersburg officials confirmed that the long awaited, 9.54-acre Pleasant View Park at 10901 Darnestown Rd was not open yet, after several community members shared photos of the doors being open with community members inside the party. Gaithersburg has now shared an update stating that the park is in its final stages of completion (photos below by the City of Gaithersburg).
“The Park construction is at the final phase of completion, all Park’s elements are constructed, and the contractor coordinating final inspections with the authorities having jurisdictions which include State Highway Administration (SHA), WSSC, Pepco, and the City. The punch list repairs are in progress.”
Pleasant View Park will come with parking, community gardens, a bicycle skills course (pump track), open space, pavilions, a playground, fitness pods, and a welcome plaza. Once the punch list repairs have been completed, the City of Gaithersburg plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration. The date is not yet available, but appears to be very soon.
Pleasant View Park is named after the nearby Pleasant View community, one of the first free black communities established after the Civil War. The park’s name honors the historic significance of that community and also reflects the beauty of the natural surroundings. The land was acquired through the Federal Land to Parks Program of the United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. From 1955 to 1975, this location served as a fire control radar site for the U.S. Army NIKE missile system. After 1975, the site was used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as the National Laboratory Campus for testing consumer products.
Vehicular access to the park will be through the drive that extends from Darnestown Road. Pedestrians will be able to access the site from Darnestown Road via a path that will be located parallel to the access drive into the park. Pedestrians will also be able to access the park from Marsh Lane. A Ride-On bus stop is located on Darnestown Road at the park entrance.
