Update on Gaithersburg’s Upcoming Pleasant View Park

Construction of Pleasant View Park, the 28th park in the City of Gaithersburg’s inventory, started back in November 2021. The 9.54-acre park is located at the former Consumer Product Safety Commission site on Rt. 28. (10901 Darnestown Road). A 16-month construction period is anticipated, with completion in February 2023. Work will continue through the winter months, weather permitting.

The City of Gaithersburg posted an updated construction video yesterday that can be seen below:

The contractor for this project is Patriot Construction, LLC. Initial work will involve the mobilization of construction equipment, installation of erosion and sediment control structures, installation of a fabric barrier on an existing fence, the demolition of concrete slabs and asphalt surfaces, and clearing trees and shrubs.

The site will then be graded, a stormwater structure and new electrical service will be installed, and asphalt and concrete pathways will be laid down. Then comes the installation of amenities, including a playground, community garden, trees and shrubs, bike track, fitness pods, a pavilion, a welcome plaza, and more.

Entrance to the construction site is restricted to construction crewmembers and administration staff only. Vehicles will be parked within the site and a trailer will be brought in for staff. All work will be scheduled in compliance with the City’s Noise Ordinance.

Residents in the vicinity of the new park may hear and see the impacts of the construction. Equipment includes excavation and earth moving machines, soil compaction equipment, concrete and asphalt demolition equipment, temporary generators, hydraulic and pneumatic tools, construction debris removal trucks, new materials delivery trucks, and tree removal and tree trimming equipment.

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.