Germantown Urban Park

Location: Germantown, Maryland

Germantown Town Center Urban Park is designed to be the crown jewel in the Montgomery County park system and is scheduled to open in 2013. This eight-acre park manages runoff and water quality from a forty-acre urban drainage area, providing passive recreation in an artful presentation. Stormwater management is fully integrated into the design with bio-retention, a very large underground sand filter and storm water storage that is one hundred and thirty feet long, specialized cascade outfalls and improvements to the pond and naturalized wetlands. Additionally, the park design integrates recreation and public art as well as celebrating the natural environment.

The braided feature of ramps and descending walkways delineates space and encourages children to move about in a fun yet controlled environment while providing universal access (ADA compliant) by maintaining a grade of less than five percent in all the walks on site. Sculpture, by David Hess, formed with boulders and twisted stainless steel piping is integrated into the braid. A passive, canted (5:1 cross-slope), elliptical enclosed “Green Space,” features lawn, green chaise lounges, green fence with twining vines and evergreen buffer plantings to offer definition.