Public Input Sought On The Future Of Wheaton Regional Park

WHEATON, MD — Montgomery Parks is updating its master plan for Wheaton Regional Park and is asking the public to weigh in.

The 536-acre park was established in the 1960s and is in need of updates to address its aging infrastructure, according to county officials.

There are a number of ways residents can share their suggestions about the future of the park, including taking this online survey or using this interactive map.

Wheaton Regional Park is the largest park in lower Montgomery County and features a variety of facilities and recreational opportunities, including:

• Brookside Gardens and Brookside Nature Center
• Wheaton Ice Rink, Wheaton Sports Pavilion, F. Frank Rubini Athletic Complex, indoor and outdoor tennis courts
• Wheaton Miniature Train & Ovid Hazen Wells carousel, Pine Lake, picnic shelters, a large adventure playground, and dog park, and
• An expansive network of both hard surface and natural surface trails

"The park's master plan was created in 1987. Since then, the county has grown and changed substantially. An updated master plan will ensure that the park's future renovations and growth align with the needs and interests of the adjacent communities as well as residents throughout the county," officials said in a statement. "Topics that will be addressed in the master plan include updated infrastructure, new recreational facilities and amenities, natural resource conservation, maintenance and operations, and enhanced natural and cultural interpretation."

Montgomery Parks will be collecting input through Dec. 31. A master plan update will be presented to the county's planning board in late spring 2021.