Pop’s Park Concept Design

Location: 8705 Cunningham Dr, Berwyn Heights, MD 20740

Status: CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Timeline: May – September 2020

About the Project

Pop’s Park is a community playground and picnic area in the middle of Berwyn Heights, Maryland. The park contains a picnic area and play equipment designed for kids aged 2 to 7 years. Its close proximity to houses and Berwyn Heights Elementary School make it an indispensable gathering spot.

The purpose of this project is to prepare a conceptual park design that identifies how green infrastructure can help enhance park amenities and better manage stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure means practices like permeable pavement and rain gardens that help slow down and soak up rainwater where it falls. Community input related to park use and needs will be incorporated into the design. The conceptual design will be used to guide future efforts.

About the Process

UPDATES

The project was officially kicked off on May 14, 2020, at a meeting with the Town’s Green Team. The group reviewed the project’s scope and schedule, discussed the 2013 Town Park Master Plan and existing site conditions, and identified issues and opportunities related to environmental, recreational, social, and infrastructure/utility needs. A similar meeting was held via Zoom with the Walkable, Bikeable Berwyn Heights Task Force on June 8. The meeting presentation may be viewed here, and comments from both the May 14 and June 8 meetings may be viewed by clicking here.

In June – August 2020, we reached out to the community to see how they use Pop’s Park and elicited feedback from park users on their priorities for the park through an online questionnaire. The final results can be viewed here.

Funding

This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants program, which support efforts with the Chesapeake Bay watershed to accelerate nutrient and sediment reductions with innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective approaches.

Disclaimer

This project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund.  The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.