A recommended facility plan and Mandatory Referral Water Quality Plan for Columbia Local Park in Burtonsville will be presented to the Montgomery Planning Board on Thursday, July 29, by Montgomery Parks, which is part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Residents are invited to comment or testify at the meeting (which will be held online), in writing or by email.
Columbia Local Park is a 25.2-acre park located at 14900 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. The park was acquired in 1969 and developed in 1974. Recommendations for the facility plan were developed following a community engagement period that allowed residents to provide input on design options.
The facility plan proposes activating and renovating the northern portion of the park while providing accessibility and environmental improvements. It recommends converting the two existing tennis courts into a dog park and converting the abandoned paved area into one tennis court with pickleball overlays. The plan also includes adding four purpose-built pickleball courts, a soccer court and a small gathering area with a shade structure and drinking fountain.
Additional proposed improvements include enhanced pedestrian access to the program areas, accessible parking and a connection to the neighborhood trail to the north. Improvements and repairs are also proposed to other existing facilities in the northern portion of the park.
The estimated cost for the project is $2.6 million.
Additional details about the park improvements can be viewed at the project page.
If the recommended facility plan is approved by the Planning Board, the project will be proposed for final design beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, with construction anticipated in FY23.
