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Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan

The Final Plan
The Plan Process

Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan CoverOn Thursday, September 25, 2008 the Montgomery County Planning Board unanimously voted to adopt the Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan with the recommended changes suggested by staff in the Planning Board packet. Thank you for your interest and involvement in the planning process.

Background

The Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor stretches from the Rock Creek Regional Park to the Patuxent River. The Countywide Park Trails Plan (1998) identified the need to study this corridor in more detail. As noted in the Plan text, the issue of trail connectivity in this part of the county has been addressed by many previous plans, including the Upper Rock Creek Community Master Plan, the Rock Creek Regional Park Master Plan and the Rachel Carson Greenway Plan.

Highlights

  • This Plan almost doubles the length of trails now available in the corridor.
  • In addition to providing a linear connection from Rock Creek Regional Park to the Patuxent River, the Plan proposes a loop trail that will be open to hikers, equestrians and mountain bikes.
  • Endorses the extension of a hard surface trail from Rock Creek Regional Park to Olney.
  • Provides an alternative to link the Rock Creek hiker-biker trail to the Lake Frank trail network.
  • Locates a mountain bike challenge course at George Carson Farm Special Park, and
  • Identifies mill sites for potential future interpretation.

The Final Plan

Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan (2MB, pdf)

Table of Contents
page #
Introduction
3
Plan Concepts
7
Key Plan Issues
17
Implementation Priorities
23
Technical Appendix
27
  Appendix A - Overview of Plans with Trail Policies and Recommendations for the Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan
27
  Appendix B - Plan Response to Environmental Features
29
  Appendix C - Historical and Archeological Resources
33
  Appendix D - 1969 Carson Farm Special Park Concept Plan
35
List of Figures
  Figure 1 Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Master Plan
2
  Figure 2 Relation to Countywide Park Trails Plan
3
  Figure 3 Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Study Area
4
  Figure 4 Key Issue Areas
6
  Figure 5 Midcounty Greenway Trail Corridor
8
  Figure 6 Environmental Setting
9
  Figure 7 Hard Surface Trail Extension to Olney
10
  Figure 8 Natural Surface Trail Open to Hikers, Bikers and Equestrians
12
  Figure 9 Location of Mountain Bike Challenge Course
13
  Figure 10 Access Points along the Corridor
14
  Figure 11 Historic Mill Clusters
15
  Figure 12 How to Close the Gaps
16
  Figure 13 Mountain Bike Challenge Course Concept
18
  Figure 14 Relation of ICC Bikeway
20
  Figure 15 ICC at Emory Lane
21
  Figure 16 ICC at Needwood Road
21
  Figure 17 Lake - Trail Connectivity
22
  Figure 18 Trail Corridor Loop Connectivity
24

The Plan Process

TIMING
STEP
05/03/2006
 Community "Kick-Off" Meeting - Meeting Summary
07/13/2006
Issues & Outreach Staff Draft Report for Approval by the M-NCPPC Planning Board - Staff Memo (pdf)
Winter 2006

Staff Draft / Community Meetings on Plan Concepts and Options
10/03/2007
Community Meeting on Plan Alternatives - Shady Grove Maintenance Facility, 16641 Crabbs Branch Way, Rockville, MD - Meeting Summary
06/19/2008

M-NCPPC Planning Board Worksession - Item #8 - Approved for Public Hearing Date, Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Staff Draft (no public testimony will be taken) . M-NCPPC Auditorium - Meeting Review and Staff Draft & Memo Item #8.

09/11/2008

 M-NCPPC Planning Board Public Hearing - Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Staff Draft M-NCPPC Auditorium - 8787 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 - a copy of the draft plan will be available here shortly.To sign up to testify, please call 301-495-4600, sign up online or send your testimony via email to the Planning Board. Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan Public Hearing Draft (2.8MB, pdf)
09/25/2008

During a final worksession, the Planning Board approved and adopted the Upper Rock Creek Trail Corridor Plan. (pdf, 2MB)

Contact

Brooke Farquhar
Brooke.Farquhar @montgomeryparks.org
301-650-4388

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Date of last update: September 26, 2008