The 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan (BDP) recommends many new parks and public use spaces to create a livable and healthy community for the residents of Bethesda and the entire County. The intersection of two major park recommendations with a significant development project has created the opportunity to implement several key BDP recommendations in one project that will result in a revitalized Farm Woman's Market Civic Green plus two significant sections of the Eastern Greenway parks. This PDF is intended to fund a portion of the public park elements of this collaborative project involving multiple government and private development entities.

This PDF is funded by the M-NCPPC, the Town of Chevy Chase, and the State of Maryland. The M-NCPPC will assign PDF funds to the development applicant in exchange for the concurrent design, permitting, construction, and delivery of two innovative, high quality urban parks with a full complement of park amenities on a portion of Lot 24 and all of Lot 10, consistent with the approved Sketch Plan #320190030 by the development applicant. Some PDF funds will be allocated for a portion of the costs to underground utilities, as well. Subject to review and approval by the M-NCPPC's Montgomery Parks, the two new parks will be designed to create exciting and meaningful civic spaces linked to the existing Elm Street Park to create a cohesive whole and provide safe pedestrian circulation among the parks and the Farm Women's Market site. Per the Planning Board's Sketch Plan approval (MCPB Resolution 19-123, Condition B.8), the park on Lot 24 will be designed and constructed integral with the underlying parking structure to ensure constructability of park amenities for long-term operation and maintenance, including adequate utilities, design loading capacity, and soil profiles to support amenity footings. The Lot 24 park will include amenities that support active and social uses such as shade trees, landscaping, and open lawns; sport courts, play equipment, shade structures, hardscapes and water features; performance and seating areas; and other site furnishings and urban park elements. Lot 10 park construction will begin upon opening of the Lot 24 garage and will include complementary amenities such as a multi-generational playground with a splash park, dog park, outdoor gym area, and other active facilities.

Montgomery Parks uses a variety of tools to inform park design, including public meetings, data collection, market research and other forms of in-person and virtual engagement and will engage residents from surrounding communities in a design process for these parks that will include a charrette and other forms of outreach.

While the Parks Department carefully weighs neighborhood input, it must be considered in context with the priorities and needs of all County residents. Final design for the two parks will be approved through the M-NCPPC Park Construction Permit. Once constructed, the M-NCPPC will receive title to the Lot 24 park through a condominium unit interest deed from the development entity and to the Lot 10 park by in-fee conveyance from the County. The timing and conditions for park development, milestone payments to the development applicant, and transfer of the park properties will be defined in a set of legal agreements to be negotiated subsequent to approval of this public contribution to the project.

Depending on the development approval process, the current proposed plan has preliminary design completion in FY25 with a construction completion in FY28.

The 2017 Bethesda Downtown Plan (BDP) recommends the creation of linear public parks on the edge of the Downtown called the Eastern Greenway. The BDP specifically recommends that PLD surface lots should be converted into public parks as much as feasible to create the Eastern Greenway while preserving public parking in underground garages. This PDF will work in coordination with the County Farm Women's Market Parking Garage (#502316) to provide public funding to a collaborative development project to meet key policy goals of the BDP, including underground public parking and new public parks to serve the growing Bethesda community and the County.

The following funding plan is contingent upon executed agreements with the developer and the Town of Chevy Chase as well as Council approval of related property disposition actions.

M-NCPPC is providing $2.5 Million in Bethesda Park Impact Payments (PIPs) and $2.5 Million in State grants. The Town of Chevy Chase is providing Intergovernmental funding of $4.432 Million, consisting of $3.432 Million in Town funds and $1.0 Million in State grants. $600,000 of Bethesda PIP funds will be used to cover a portion of M-NCPPC's planning, design, and supervision costs. $8.117 Million is the funding level determined by the development applicant as sufficient to fully implement both parks as outlined in the Sketch Plan Resolution and this PDF. The project also includes $715,000 in FY24 for a portion of the costs related to underground utilities. The schedule for disbursements to the development applicant will be established via development and funding agreements. Cost estimates for the Lot 10 & 24 parks are based on the approved Sketch Plan and will be updated as design is finalized.

This project is linked to the Department of Transportation's $10,293,000 Farm Women's Market Parking Garage (P502316) project which will fund the costs to purchase an underground garage to replace Lots 10 and 24 when they are redeveloped for housing and urban parks, as well as some costs related to underground utilities. Funding partners for that project include the County, the developer, and the Town of Chevy Chase.

FY23 supplemental in Contributions: Bethesda Park Impact Payments for the amount of $2,000,000, Intergovernmental for the amount of $4,432,000, State Aid for the amount of $2,500,000.

Bethesda Park Impact Payment 872002, Farm Women's Market Parking Garage 502316