Category: Park

Holloywood Park

Currently, there isn’t any enforcement provisions concerning parks and recreation spaces.

• Operating hours of the City Parks
• Closure of a Park
• Compliance by persons engaged in the parks
• Prohibited acts in the parks.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the City Council will review and find the areas of park regulation that should be included, and authorize staff and the City Attorney to draft the appropriate legislation for adoption.

The PGParks is offering a new resource to assist in finding amenities near you!

ParkFinder is an interactive map to find local parks, community centers, museums, art centers, pools, and more. You can search facilities based on name, amenity types, and ADA-compliant features. Try it out today at www.pgparks.com/parkfinder.

¡Nos complace ofrecer un nuevo recurso para ayudarlo a encontrar facilidades cerca de usted! “ParkFinder” es un mapa interactivo para encontrar parques locales, centros comunitarios, museos, centros de arte, piscinas y más. Puede buscar instalaciones según el nombre, los tipos de servicios y las características que cumplen con la ADA. Pruébelo hoy en www.pgparks.com/parkfinder.

At tonight’s meeting, the City Council will discuss a list of requests or comments on the FY19 budget for the parks managed by the MNCPPC.

Some of the items that are currently in the FY18-FY23 Capital Improvement Program include
1) Paint Branch SVP-College Park Woods Trail- estimated 1.7 million; $500,000 appropriated
2) Paint Branch Hiker Biker- University Blvd- connect College Park Wood to Paint branch trail- est. $275,000
3) rehab of Calvert Road Park -scheduled for 2021.

Some other items that are not currently in the budget but could benefit North College Park money for field upgrades at Hollywood Park (photo below). Last fall a committee of community members met with MNCPPC staff to discuss uses at Hollywood Park. Please see here the recommendations about the park improvements from the North College Park Citizens Association.
NCPCA Hollywood Park Committee Final Report Presentation 10-11-16 Approved

Consensus from the community was that the smaller softball field should be removed and the area along with some of the current grassy area should be reconfigured for a multi-use soccer and cricket field. Portable goals were requested as well as a mulched path from the entrance gate on Lackawanna to the current asphalt path.

Other requests may include funding for a community center in North College Park. Previous MNCPPC budgets had $50,000 allocated to study the location of a community center in North College Park. The money was not utilized and MNCPPC has not engaged the community in moving forward with a community center.

The Hollywood Park near the Greenbelt Metro station is going to get two new picnic tables. The Maryland Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) staff told us recently.

The picnic tables were discussed in the October 7th community meeting that was held at the Youth Center. These tables were extremely old (over 40 years old) and out-dated. They looked terrible and it’s time to have these outdated amenities removed.

PG Parks will place (2) tables once the weather breaks and then monitor over the spring/summer/fall to see if there is a need to purchase any more in the future.

Here are reasons why the PG Parks is moving to web-coated picnic tables:

· All of the Area Operations Maintenance (Southern, Central, and Northern) are working towards consistency with certain equipment/supplies/products
· The web-coated tables are the ones selected for all (3) areas
· This table is lighter so maintenance can move easier when necessary especially during mowing season
· This table is more durable
· This table has more lifespan
· Weather resistance

In last week’s Council worksession, the City Council discussed a number of requests for the upcoming Maryland Park and Planning budget. Here is a draft list we discussed.

Hollywood Community Park Entrance and Soccer Field— The pedestrian entrance to the park that adjoins the pathway to the Greenbelt Metro Station is in need of improvement. We request a gateway entrance feature to the park to replace the existing chain-link fence. This aesthetic improvement would complement the City’s Lackawanna Streetscape project, which spans from Narragansett Parkway to the Metro entrance and includes street improvements and new pedestrian lighting.

Additionally, we request an evaluation of the Hollywood Community Park field layout and a reconfiguration that would create space for a soccer field.

Feasibility Study of Potential Community Center in the Hollywood Commercial District — The City requested that M-NCPPC engage in a study to analyze the possibility of entering into a joint project with the City of College Park to construct and operate a community center in north College Park. In the FY 2013 proposed budget, M-NCPPC designated feasibility study funding for this project for FY 2016 and potentially more funding the following year to build the facility.

Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park Display Board — The City requests a new display board to be located at the entrance of Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park.

Lighting Study along the Paint Branch Trail — Previously, M-NCPPC emphasized the need for a lighting study to determine lighting needs and preferences along the Paint Branch Trail. We request that M-NCPPC allocate funding in the Capital Improvement Program to complete this study and investigate the possible use of energy-efficient lighting on county trails because of the important role that the trail system plays for pedestrian and bicycle commuting in the county.

Additionally, the Public Facilities Report in the Formula 2040 Functional Master Plan for Parks, Recreation and Open Space recommends that a 12,000 square foot gymnasium be added to the Hollywood Elementary School to meet identified needs. This project is not currently in the CIP and requires a feasibility study to be conducted first. Although the residents of north College Park would prefer a stand-alone community center, the gymnasium expansion would be a reasonable alternative that could move forward more quickly. The city supports this recommendation and requests that funding for both feasibility studies be included in FY 2016.

College Park Woods Playground — The pedestrian entrance to the park is not easily accessible for elderly residents and residents with mobility challenges. We request that you evaluate the entrance and make accessibility improvements. Additionally, outdoor flooring enhancements from https://playgroundresurfacing.uk/ could further contribute to a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone.

Lake Artemesia — This is a beautiful park where visitors experience a heightened awareness of the value of our natural areas. It is a perfect location for a pilot program for combined trash and recycling receptacles. The type of receptacle should be coordinated with College Park.

Pond near Davis Field

I was at the Davis Field Park the other day. There is a little nice pond north of the park. Unfortunately, it appeared to me that the water of the pond has gotten dirty and has become a major source of mosquito infestation. This is posing a health risk to the nearby neighbors and the kids/families who frequent to the park.

I was also told by a nearby resident that the pond has become a dumping ground of bulk trashes, such as bikes, etc.

Later I was found that this pond is a Water Quality Pond installed by Prince George’s County years ago as part of the stormwater management program in the city. It is owned and maintained by the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works, not the City. This pond is identified as Indian Creek #12.

Ideally, if it is doing its job properly, it should not be clean. This pond and area is also on the master list maintained and checked routinely by the State of Maryland’s Department of Agriculture’s Mosquito Control staff.

The Prince George’s County DPW&T later told us that they have it scheduled for work this season, probably starting in September. The contractor will drain the pond, completely clean it, remove the old bikes and other debris, plant new grass, etc., and re-fill it. They will notify the City about a week before the project is to begin.

Thanks to City’s Public Works and DPW&T for coordinating this much-needed cleanup. Please let me know if you need more information.