Impact on Parkland from External Entities
Project Review and Approval
Montgomery Parks is composed of over 36,000 acres containing approximately 600 miles of streams and over 29,000 acres of open and environmentally preserved spaces that provide valuable wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. Our mission is to:
- Protect and interpret the valuable natural and cultural resources;
- Balance the demand for recreation with the need for conservation;
- Offer a variety of enjoyable recreational activities that encourage healthy lifestyles; and
- Provide clean, safe, and accessible places for leisure-time activities.
Projects proposed on properties owned or managed by Parks and on properties to be dedicated to the M-NCPPC proposed by external government agencies, public utilities, non-profits, private developers, etc., that will directly impact parkland must first go through review and approval by Montgomery Parks.
The review for approval is a two-step process first with the Concept Plan Review followed by the Park Construction Permit as the project design progresses from concept to final design. Before applying for a Park Construction Permit and any technical review, the Concept Plan Review must be completed. In limited circumstances a Right of Entry will be used. Further detail is listed below on all these processes. If questions, please reach out to ParkConstructionReview@montgomeryparks.org
Step 1 – Concept Plan Review
The Concept Plan Review evaluates whether projects proposed on parkland align with Montgomery County Parks’ Mission to steward natural and cultural resources, further recreational amenities, and abide by all applicable local, state, and federal policies. This process generally occurs when the project is at the conceptual or 30% design phase. Please refer to the Resources section at the top-right corner of this page to learn more about this process and how to initiate a Concept Review.
Throughout this review, Park Planning and Stewardship Division (PPSD) Staff will work with the applicant to understand the scope of the work, determine if the impacts to parkland are avoidable or can be minimized, and if not, what mitigation or compensation will be required for the impact. The policy for Parks in the 2022 PROS Master Plan Update outlines this approach and, where applicable, describes how non-park-use of park property is not permitted unless the Montgomery County Planning Board deems it to be in the public interest.
Step 2 – Park Construction Permit
After the Concept Review is complete, the applicant must apply for a Park Construction Permit to initiate the Park Development Division (PDD) Staff technical review of the project. Technical review may start at the 60% design phase; however, a Park Construction Permit will not be issued until final design, including third-party permit reviews.
To streamline the permit application process for the applicant and the Parks Department, we have created a two-step submission for applications online via GIS (Step 1) and ePlans (Step 2). Please refer to the Resources section at the top-right corner of this page to learn more about these steps.
Right of Entry
A Right of Entry may be given for the following types of work that are generally for collecting technical field data as part of a larger design:
- Geotechnical Borings
- Survey
- Site Inspections
- Work inside M-NCPPC buildings
Since these typically arise during the Concept Review or Park Construction Permit steps, a Right of Entry will be coordinated during these processes and not as stand-alone requests. However, projects with only these types of activity that are not in Concept Review or Park Construction Permit steps, should reach out to ParkConstructionReview@montgomeryparks.org
Related County Information
Below are various links to useful County resources.