Project Description
This project develops a facility plan for a new neighborhood park in Lyttonsville at 2205 Kansas Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. The intent of the project is to create a neighborhood green, and a rest stop with amenities along the Capital Crescent Trail while providing environmental benefits, accessibility, and social connections.
Background
The 0.84-acre parcel is adjacent to the existing Georgetown Branch and the CSX/WMATA right-of-way at the end of Talbot Avenue between Kansas Avenue and Michigan Avenue. The parcel fronts the future Capital Crescent Trail and Purple Line light rail on the north side and is approximately ¼ mile from the future Purple Line Lyttonsville Station. The land is to be transferred to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) upon completion of the Purple Line as part of the Capital Crescent Trail greenway corridor. The site which was formerly forested has been cleared and is currently used as a construction staging area.
Lyttonsville was an all-Black enclave in Silver Spring founded in the 1850s by a free Black laborer, Samuel Lytton. The Talbot Avenue bridge is a historic, one-lane wood and steel bridge that crossed the CSX railroad tracks between Hanover Street and Lanier Drive. The bridge provided Black residents access to employment, shopping, and recreational opportunities unavailable in Lyttonsville. The bridge represents a historic connection between the segregated communities. The deteriorating 100-year-old bridge was demolished in the spring of 2019 and will be replaced with a new bridge in conjunction with the construction of the Purple Line. The project intends to incorporate remnants of the historic bridge into the park to commemorate the unique history and culture of Greater Lyttonsville.
Status/Project Update
The facility planning process began in the winter of 2019 but was put on hold due to the delay of the Purple Line construction. The project restarted in the spring of 2022. Community meetings were held in summer and fall of 2022 to share initial ideas and preliminary concepts for public input. A hybrid community meeting was held on Thursday, March 30, 2023 to present the design development park concept for public feedback.
The Park Facility Plan was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board on September 7, 2023. The project will be proposed for final design and construction in the FY2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program.
Calendar and Meeting Notes
Links to review meeting notes and presentations will be attached to each applicable calendar event as it is scheduled and completed.
* Date and time subject to change. Please contact the project manager for updates.
| Dates | Events | Meeting Notes |
|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Project begins | N/A |
| June 29, 2022 | Community Meeting #1 Solicit community input. | Watch a recording of the June 29, 2022 meeting View the June 29, 2022 meeting notes (accessible pdf) Comment period ended August 31, 2022 |
| October 25, 2022 | Community Meeting #2 Present preliminary concepts and solicit public input | Watch a recording of the October 25, 2022 meeting View the October 25, presentation (accessible pdf) View the October 25 meeting notes (accessible pdf) Comment period ended January 25, 2023. |
| March 30, 2023 | Community Meeting #3 Hybrid meeting to present design development concept for public feedback | Watch a recording of the March 30, 2023 meeting March 30th, 2023 presentation (pdf)
|
| September 7, 2023
| Planning Board Meeting Facility Plan approved. Item #7 Park Facility Plan: Future Neighborhood Park in Lyttonsville | Location: M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters Auditorium 2425 Reedie Drive, 2nd Floor Wheaton, MD 20902 |