The final plan for the Silver Spring Intermediate Park improvements will be presented at a meeting tonight by staff from Montgomery Parks.
The 3.6-acre park is on the site of the former Silver Spring Intermediate School, which is bounded on three sides by Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston avenues.
The site is still owned by the school system, but is managed by Montgomery Parks, which installed the parking lot, basketball court, tennis court, ball fields and playground in the 1980s.
Plans for the site have been discussed at two previous community meetings. In June 2018, about 30 residents attended and had the opportunity to vote on four initial concepts.
In addition, residents had the opportunity to submit comments online about the proposed design earlier this year.
The proposed improvements, as listed by Montgomery Parks, include:
- ADA-accessible walkway that connects the main park entrance, bus stop, courts, and playground
- New walkway connecting the Chicago Avenue/Boston Avenue entrance to the rest of the park
- New ADA-accessible parking space
- Designated location for portable restroom, with screen
- New drinking fountain
- New bike racks
- New bioretention areas to treat storm water runoff on site
- Minimal regrading of the open lawn area to create a smoother and more user-friendly play area
- Replacement of the existing retaining wall and guardrail at the southeast corner on Boston Avenue.
- Spot repair of the existing white retaining wall along Boston Avenue, with new guardrail
- Accessible entrance to the playground
- New fixed tables
- New safety fences along Boston Avenue
- New natural play area and boardwalk near the existing playground and the new bio-retention area
- New bike racks
- Basketball courts with taller fences, new seating wall, more benches
- Leveled tennis court surfaces, repainted to include pickle ball lines, new backstop walls, more benches, and
- An accessible walkway from the bus stop linked into the park, with more benches near the waiting area.
The online comments included 57 responses; about 61 percent said they rated their level of satisfaction with the proposed plan as a four or five (five being “most satisfied”).
Nearly 90 percent of respondents said they lived within a half-mile of the park, and almost 72 percent said they used the park at least once a week.
The meeting will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Sligo Avenue Neighborhood Park Activity Building, 500 Sligo Ave.
The final plan for the $1.5 million project will be presented to the Planning Board for approval later this year.
Screen shot of park concept from Montgomery Parks website