Before Montgomery County likely spends millions to make significant changes to its 40-plus park and recreational facilities, planners are taking the pulse of the community. A report released in June showed that the county has a $2 million deferred maintenance backlog on these sites. Outside researchers in the process also graded the 31 recreational and nine ancillary buildings — with more than half considered to be in fair or poor shape — and separated them into tentative categories based on whether the sites should be demolished, improved or evaluated further.

Now, citizens groups and individual residents are being asked to weigh in with their opinions of these distinctions, according to Mark Wallace, park planner for Montgomery County’s Planning Department. Wallace said he has been meeting with interested parties and will continue to do so during the fall to get their input.

“A lot of these facilities were built in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s,” Wallace said. “At that time, they were the only game in town. There weren’t bowling alleys and other places to have birthday parties and get-togethers. But times are very different. ... We want to know what’s the best way to spend our money.”

The two-year assessment of the park properties that serve the public was undertaken by private consultant Facility Engineering Associates.

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Prior to its analysis, Wallace said, the Planning Department had never done a physical assessments of its recreational buildings.

The facilities said to be in the worst condition are the parks at Argyle, North Four Corners, Norbeck-Muncaster Mill, Hillandale, Randolph Hills, Ken-Gar Palisades and Norwood.

Just because a site was judged to be maintained poorly, though, does not mean it will be demolished outright.

Facility Engineering Associates recommended transferring or getting rid of five sites; Randolph Hills and Hillandale as well as parks at Camp Seneca, Clarksburg and Garrett Park Estates.

For the complete report, click here.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com