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Create parks and recreation of the future. Take this survey!

336 registered responses


While we'd love to learn as much about your ideas for the future of parks, we recognize some of you have less time than others. How would you prefer to participate and provide your feedback about Parks of the Future?

Response Percent Response Count
I'd like to fill out the complete survey (approx 10 minutes). 89.9% 302
I'd just like to provide my general comments about Parks of the Future. 10.1% 34

How often does your household use parks, recreation facilities, or programs in a year?

Response Percent Response Count
Rarely (1 to 3 times a year) 3.0% 9
Occasionally (4 to 8 times a year) 7.6% 23
Regularly (9 or more times a year) 89.4% 271

What do you feel are the top three functions provided by Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Recreation?

Average priorities over 336 responses
  1. Natural areas support a variety of ecological communities, and they form the backbone of our park system. Montgomery Parks recognizes these areas provide respite for park patrons and ecological benefits. The stewardship of these resources is a key component of a successful park system.

    Preservation of natural resources
  2. Montgomery Parks offers many opportunities to promote fitness and health within its 418 parks, including paved and natural surface trails, fitness equipment, amenities to exercise such as ice skating rinks, tennis centers and numerous athletic fields. 

    Fitness and health
  3. Montgomery Parks is dedicated to preserving and interpreting cultural resources for current and future generations including historic buildings, archaeological sites, and other culturally significant places.

    Preservation of cultural / historic resources
  4. Parks are an ideal location for social gatherings with families, friends and neighbors. Montgomery Parks has many amenities to enhance such gatherings including camp grounds, picnic shelters, park activity buildings and play grounds. 

    Social gathering
  5. Montgomery Parks offers hundreds of athletic fields used for a wide variety of sports such as baseball, soccer, cricket and more. There are also basketball and tennis courts, ice skating rinks, an indoor sports pavilion among other amenities promoting sports in our parks. 

    Sports
  6. Hundreds of events and festivals take place in Montgomery Parks every year including nature festivals, races, musical events and seasonal celebrations. 

    Events

How would you rate the agency's parks, facilities and services in meeting the communities needs?

Parks
Response Percent Response Count
1 Poor 1.7% 5
2 Fair 8.6% 26
3 Good 45.4% 137
4 Excellent 36.4% 110
5 7.0% 21
Recreational facilities
Response Percent Response Count
1 Poor 2.3% 7
2 Fair 14.6% 44
3 Good 47.4% 143
4 Excellent 27.8% 84
5 4.0% 12
Recreational programs
Response Percent Response Count
1 Poor 1.3% 4
2 Fair 16.2% 49
3 Good 44.0% 133
4 Excellent 24.2% 73
5 7.3% 22

Are there any segments of the community that need to be better served by Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation? If so, who are they and how can they be better served?

Answered
201
Skipped
135

What do you believe are the three most important issues / challenges facing Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation in the next five years?

Answered
263
Skipped
73

Why did you choose these top three functions?

Answered
235
Skipped
101

What amenities, programs or experiences are missing that would better support your recreation needs that we should be planning for in the future?

Answered
250
Skipped
86

How would you describe your household? Please check ALL that apply.

Response Percent Response Count
At least one child under age 18 lives here 34.4% 104
Someone age 55 and over lives here 58.3% 176
No children under 18 and no one age 55+ lives here 11.6% 35
Someone with a disability lives here 9.3% 28
Single-family detached house or townhouse / duplex 86.1% 260
Multi-family low- or high-rise building 7.0% 21
Use bus or rail public transit for non-work related trips 34.4% 104
Lived in current house for less than two years 10.6% 32
Lived in current house 15 or more years 54.0% 163
Hispanic or Latino ancestry 6.3% 19
White 84.4% 255
African American or Black 3.6% 11
Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 5.6% 17
Some other race 1.3% 4

Please provide your zip code here to help us to determine where facilities and services are needed.

Answered
301
Skipped
35

Do you have any additional comments or suggestions to help Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation staff plan for the County's future parks, recreational facilities or programs?

Answered
240
Skipped
96
Name not shown inside Aspen Hill
April 2, 2017, 11:21 AM
  • While we'd love to learn as much about your ideas for the future of parks, we recognize some of you have less time than others. How would you prefer to participate and provide your feedback about Parks of the Future?
    • I'd like to fill out the complete survey (approx 10 minutes).
  • How often does your household use parks, recreation facilities, or programs in a year?
    • Regularly (9 or more times a year)
  • What do you feel are the top three functions provided by Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Recreation?
    1. Montgomery Parks offers many opportunities to promote fitness and health within its 418 parks, including paved and natural surface trails, fitness equipment, amenities to exercise such as ice skating rinks, tennis centers and numerous athletic fields. 

      Fitness and health
    2. Montgomery Parks offers hundreds of athletic fields used for a wide variety of sports such as baseball, soccer, cricket and more. There are also basketball and tennis courts, ice skating rinks, an indoor sports pavilion among other amenities promoting sports in our parks. 

      Sports
    3. Natural areas support a variety of ecological communities, and they form the backbone of our park system. Montgomery Parks recognizes these areas provide respite for park patrons and ecological benefits. The stewardship of these resources is a key component of a successful park system.

      Preservation of natural resources
    4. Parks are an ideal location for social gatherings with families, friends and neighbors. Montgomery Parks has many amenities to enhance such gatherings including camp grounds, picnic shelters, park activity buildings and play grounds. 

      Social gathering
    5. Montgomery Parks is dedicated to preserving and interpreting cultural resources for current and future generations including historic buildings, archaeological sites, and other culturally significant places.

      Preservation of cultural / historic resources
    6. Hundreds of events and festivals take place in Montgomery Parks every year including nature festivals, races, musical events and seasonal celebrations. 

      Events
  • How would you rate the agency's parks, facilities and services in meeting the communities needs?
    • Parks - 4 Excellent
    • Recreational facilities - 4 Excellent
    • Recreational programs - 4 Excellent
  • Are there any segments of the community that need to be better served by Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation? If so, who are they and how can they be better served?

    Ensure that all areas of Montgomery County have parks for their children and families.

  • What do you believe are the three most important issues / challenges facing Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation in the next five years?

    Maintaining a suitable balance between population and facilities.
    Maintaining quality facilities and activities.
    Keep expenses down.

  • Why did you choose these top three functions?

    As a father, I want to ensure that my children have opportunities to use the parks and participate in activities

  • What amenities, programs or experiences are missing that would better support your recreation needs that we should be planning for in the future?
    No response.
  • How would you describe your household? Please check ALL that apply.
    • At least one child under age 18 lives here
    • Someone age 55 and over lives here
    • Single-family detached house or townhouse / duplex
    • White
    • Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
  • Please provide your zip code here to help us to determine where facilities and services are needed.
    20853
  • Do you have any additional comments or suggestions to help Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Recreation staff plan for the County's future parks, recreational facilities or programs?

    I've lived in Aspen Hill for many years. Although Aspen Hill is community-centered, there are sections of Aspen Hill which don't have access to playgrounds without the need to cross a major road. By needing to cross a major road, it exposes a danger to moms with little ones or older kids on their own.
    The Wheaton Woods park requires crossing Aspen Hill Road and still traveling a great distance. The park at Berman still requires crossing Arctic which is a bit scary at times, even with crosswalks.
    Considering that the Wheaton Woods pool is selling part of its land to raise funds, why not help a community asset to survive by purchasing the land and establishing a playground on the empty lots? I strongly believe that the Parks and Recreation of the Future includes a new playground in Aspen Hill, only one block away from the soon-to-be renovated library. What a better location to enable our little ones to exercise their bodies and their minds?

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Open Town Hall has two participation channels:

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