Two Gaithersburg Parks To Be Closed for Renovation
Travis Park and Diamond Farms Park of Gaithersburg will close on September 8 and September 14, respectively, as the city plans to replace playground equipment.
While they are closed, the city will remove the old equipment and wood carpet, and to prep for the new equipment, new plastic border timbers, drainage, landscape fabric, gravel base and safety surfacing will be installed.
The city government’s website provides drawings of the new equipment sets for each park, which can be found here.
In the Travis Park drawing, there are two sets. The larger contains three slides, two bridges and a miniature rock climbing wall, among two other climbing pieces. The smaller has two slides and two climbing pieces. There are also six swings near the smaller set.
The Diamond Farm Park drawing shows a set with three slides, a bridge and multiple different climbing pieces. It also shows two swings and a playcube.
Travis Park will open back up in mid-October with new playground equipment, which is intended for ages 2-12 while Diamond Farms Park will reopen later in the month with new equipment designed for ages 2-5.
Featured photo courtesy of the Gaithersburgmc.gov website.
By Adam Levine
Park visitors will find “Picnic in the Park” signs that allow them to scan a QR code which directs them to the MoCo Eats website.
Nearby restaurants will populate based on location, users can then contact the restaurant directly by visiting their website or calling to place an order. Designated delivery zones allow visitors to meet the driver. Physical distancing circles will be available at selected parks.
“People are flocking to parks now more than ever to enjoy the outdoors while social distancing, so there’s no better time for this new program that makes it easy for visitors to create their own picnic in one of our parks. With this program, we are supporting local businesses and encouraging residents and visitors to explore our park system while enjoying a takeout or delivered meal from a diverse array of restaurants near the parks,” said Mike Riley, Director of Montgomery Parks.
“Residents are in search of food and beverage options that are within close proximity to outdoor spaces,” said Kelly Groff, President and CEO for Visit Montgomery. “The Picnic in the Park initiative fulfills two important goals. The first is to support our restaurant community, and the second is to connect our Montgomery County’s 1 million population with the county’s unique mix of open spaces.”
Participating Parks:
• Jesup Blair Local Park
• Acorn Urban Park
• Germantown Town Center Urban Park
• Norwood Local Park
• Olney Manor Recreational Park
• Takoma Urban Park
• Wall Local Park
• Wheaton Local Park
• Wheaton Regional Park
Lake Needwood Boats has closed for the 2020 season, according to a release from Montgomery Parks.
Black Hill Boats will remains open for the remainder of the boating season.
Lake Needwood will be open to private boats until December 15, 2020. All private boats must have a seasonal or daily boat permit. Permits are available at Activemontgomery.org
How are Montgomery Parks dealing with COVID-19?
Montgomery County Parks have taken many measures to ensure the continued operation of their parks despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Parks launched several programs back in April to allow citizens to continue enjoying the parks. These include the open parkways program, which makes stretches of roadways available for pedestrians and bikers on the weekends. Another program launched is the “Trails Less Traveled” program, which aims to encourage people to visit trails they previously may not have gone to in order to allow for social distancing.
According to Parks spokeswoman Melissa Chotiner, the best way that the community can help the parks is to simply follow the new guidelines put in place.
“A great way for people to help the parks is to leave no trace when they visit our parks and trails,” Chotiner said. “Basically, take out whatever they bring in.”
The parks are currently open to the public in accordance with county and state guidelines. The use of some amenities are restricted, such as water fountains and playgrounds. The Parks Department regularly updates their policies at www.MontgomeryParks.org/COVID-19/
By Isaac Donsky
