Northwood News ♦ April 2003

What Will Happen to North Four Corners Park?

By Carole Barth

Do you have ideas on what the design should be for the new addition to North Four Corners Park?  If so, be sure to come to the next NFCCA meeting on Wednesday, April 9.  Heidi Sussman from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) will be at the meeting to hear what you have to say.  Dean Smith of the Park Police will also be attending to hear about problems with the existing park.

Background

The addition to North Four Corners Park was purchased from the Yeshiva School in 1998.  It is located on University Boulevard next to The Oaks.  When a high-density town home development was proposed for the site, NFCCA successfully argued for the county to purchase the land as an addition to the park.  Now the planning process for developing the addition has begun.

MNCPPC held an Input meeting January 30, which was well-attended.  At the meeting, MNCPPC staff mentioned that this is one of the sites being considered for a huge senior citizen facility/recreation center.  At 33,000 net square feet, and with 150-190 parking spaces, such a facility would effectively take both the new and existing portions of the park.  (If built on one level, the building alone would cover about an acre of land.)

Most of the citizens who attended the meeting are residents of Northwood-Four Corners, and their comments were overwhelmingly in favor of a plan that would preserve existing park resources and minimize construction impacts.  Many residents spoke eloquently about the tranquility of the site and the simple pleasures of open land:  bird watching, flying a kite, and walking.  Many also talked about serious problems with large groups overwhelming the existing park resources and asked MNCPPC not to exacerbate the problem by adding more athletic fields.  MNCCPC did not seem very receptive to such a low-impact approach.  They argued that the property was purchased at the community’s request to provide active recreation and that it would be difficult to change that now.

Our Actions

At its February meeting, the NFCCA passed a resolution calling for preserving existing specimen trees, minimizing impervious surfaces, and adding features such as a fitness trail, native plant landscaping, picnic tables, chess/checkers tables, and rain gardens.  This proposal has since been endorsed by a number of residents from the Oaks as well as the Silver Spring Women’s Club.

The MNCPPC plans to present some alternative plans to the community in early May and to present a final plan for approval by the Planning Board in mid- to late June.  If you can’t come on April 9, you can send written comments to Heidi Sussman, MNCPPC, 9500 Brunett Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901; or fax them to 301.585.1921.   ■