College Gardens Park Project

The City of Rockville is working with representatives of the College Gardens Civic association and the Plymouth Woods Citizens Association to study options for stormwater management in College Gardens Park.  As part of this project, the City plans to update the park, which was built in 1972 and is need of upgrading. 

Project Purpose

• Control volume of stormwater entering the College Gardens tributary of Watts Branch, reducing downstream erosion.
• Improve water quality of the runoff entering stream.
• Create a safe park with more diverse recreational possibilities.
• Design a modern, attractive park and update aging park facilities.

Project Need

• The stream channel is eroding and will continue to do so if no action is taken.
• Oil, grease, excess fertilizers and other urban pollutants flow into the stream with little or no mitigation.
• The current College Gardens pond is not designed as a stormwater management facility and only receives surface runoff from the immediate area.
• The park facilities were built in 1972.

Goals and objectives

• Work with the neighborhood to define priorities for the park.
• Work with the Montgomery County School District to coordinate this project with the College Gardens School project.
• Minimize impact to existing trees.
• Identify potentially unsafe features and eliminate or mitigate them.
       · Unsafe trees
       · Trip / stumble hazards
• Meet all federal and state guidelines.
       · Army Corps of Engineers
       · Maryland Department of the Environment
• Build a safe park that appeals to users of all ages.
• Balance the need for trees, recreation space, and storm water management.

A public meeting was held on September 21 at the Senior Center to see the proposed pond design. We are very interested in your comments.  If you filled out a comment sheet at the meeting, or have previously filled out the Internet comment form, please do not fill out another.

Contacts:

Marylou Berg, Assistant to the City Manager, 240-314-8105 or mberg@rockvillemd.gov
Burt Hall, Director of Recreation and Parks, 240-314-8607 or bhall@rockvillemd.gov
Lise Soukup, Project Engineer, 240-314-8515 or lsoukup@rockvillemd.gov