Q&A’s on Bethesda Market Park Design 
and Proposal for Additional Funding

Thanks to all the residents who have written to the Town Office regarding the design and financial plan for the Bethesda Market Park. We’ve also seen the posts on the Town Neighbors listserv. The Council is responding to everyone who wrote to the Town Office, and we will try to answer your comments as comprehensively as possible. Separately, we encourage residents to review the April 16 Town Crier in which the Council provided an explanation for the proposal to expand the budget for the park and the Town’s prospective additional financial contribution. We are also providing further information, below, in the form of a Q&A, responding to a select number of comments that many of you voiced. 

Financial Questions:

The Town has proposed that the budget for the project be expanded by $5 million, with the Town contributing $3 million of that amount. This would increase our total funding to $7.5 million. With this expansion, what is the total budget for the project, and what is the relative size of our contribution compared to the developers’ contribution?

The budget for the total development, which includes the underground garage, the new park, and an expanded and refurbished Farm Women’s Market and surrounding plaza, would be $45 million with the proposed additional funds. The Town’s contribution of $7.5 million would be 17% of the total cost. The developers will be paying $20 million, which is 44% of the total cost. Remaining funds come from the County, the Parks Department, and the State.

Why is it necessary to increase the budget for the park by $5 million?

In March of last year, residents were shown a preliminary design that was well received. This design included several active amenities, such as a shade/stage structure, play areas, and a dog park. It had been expected that the initial budget, prepared in 2022, would be adequate for that design. However, due to more detailed costing, inflation, and a better understanding of the challenges associated with building a very large green roof over the garage, the parties realized that the initial budget would permit the construction of the park with grass, trees, and benches but no other amenities. The added funds are therefore needed to obtain the amenities in the initial design, include a water feature that had been requested by many residents, and add to budgetary prudency by substantially increasing the amount reserved for contingencies. 

Of the $5 million increase, we are considering providing $3 million, with $1.5 million to come from the Parks Department and potentially from private sources, and $500,000 from the State. The County has focused its resources on the garage, to which it is contributing $9.2 million. 

Can the Town afford an additional $3 million to support this budget increase? 

The Town’s total reserves, including our unrestricted reserve and remaining federal grant money received from the American Rescue Plan Act, is currently $18.3 million and is forecast to increase to $18.5 million by the end of the fiscal year that has just begun. Therefore, spending $7.5 million on the Bethesda Market Park will leave the Town with $11 million. This is the size of the reserve we had on hand in 2021, and several million more than we had, on average, between 2013 and 2019. It is twice the size of our current total operating and capital budgets. Our auditors believe that a contingency of 40% of the Town’s annual general revenue, or $2.3 million for FY25, is prudent.  

Questions regarding the Park Design and Amenities:

Some of the amenities, especially the shade/stage structure when used as a stage and the dog park, may attract a lot of additional traffic and parking on Town streets. What can be done about that? 

Traffic and parking are serious concerns and must be addressed holistically. This includes the period of time, which will be approximately two and a half years, when the project will be under construction. The means to address the concern regarding parking is directly under the control of the Town: Enforcing our permit parking zones, which include every street in the vicinity of the new park. We have the resources to hire additional personnel as needed to patrol the streets on a regular basis and issue tickets to those without permits. The fine is $50. We believe this consequence will be sufficient to deter illegal parking.  

Regarding traffic on Leland: The Town is advocating to make westbound Leland three lanes between where traffic would exit the garage and Wisconsin Avenue. This would allow a right turn only lane for cars turning north. 

Why is there a stage? And how will the sound from events on the stage be controlled?

The current plans have a dual-purpose structure that would be an outdoor covered area that could also be used as a stage for small groups of performers. Most of the time, this structure will be a covered patio, with tables and chairs and where, for example, those who have purchased food and drink from the market can sit comfortably out of the direct sun.  

The regulations that would govern the use of this structure as a stage have yet to be determined, but the Town has a condition, included in our resolution approving the initial $4.5 million contribution, that Parks and the Town must have an agreement on programming. We expect this agreement will address the frequency of events, days and times of use, and the permitted levels of sound. The developer also has an interest in the type of events that will be permitted and the noise levels, for the sake of those who will be renting apartments in the new buildings to be constructed and owned by the developer. 

Regarding design of the structure: What was presented is conceptual, with the goal of making it appear light weight, but with a broad canopy on top and the use of only a few pillars. There remains ample opportunity to modify the design, as several residents have requested. The Town will continue to engage with the Parks Department on this matter.

What will the lawn and garden areas look like?

The lawn and garden areas will only have grass and plants – no artificial turf. The Town has long been focused on the importance of planting numerous canopy trees that will eventually provide shade through much of the park. To achieve this, the Town requested, and the developers agreed, to provide strong enough concrete columns in the garage to support the weight of large trees and allow for adequate soil depth on top of the garage. The specific placement of the trees and the species is still to be determined, but we have taken note of many comments asking for more canopy trees. The Parks Department primarily uses native species of plants, shrubs and trees. Also, the budget includes extra funds to care for the plants and trees during the first years of operation, as they have found that maintenance, including, at times, the need to replace specimens, is particularly high in those early years.

Should there be a dog park, and if there is one, who will maintain it? And will artificial turf be used in the dog parks?

A dog park was presented as a possible amenity in the first presentation of park plans in March of 2023. It was among the most popular amenities shown, as registered both in responses received by the Town Council and by the Parks Department. The current design of the space, including its size and providing for large and small dogs to play separately, accords with the current standards set by the Parks Department. The Department will be responsible for maintaining the dog park (along with the rest of the park) and wants to make sure that the space is kept sanitary and safe for the dogs. The use of artificial turf is considered one means of providing a maintainable surface, but not the only one, and other options may be considered. We have noted the concerns expressed by many residents that artificial turf should be avoided or limited. The Town will continue to engage with the Parks Department on this matter and seek more natural materials. 

Who will maintain the park, and how do we know that it will be well maintained in the future?

The Parks Department will own the park and will have an obligation to maintain it. The Department fully understands that the amenities being planned, such as the water feature and dog park, will incur distinct operating costs, and we have had specific discussions about this issue. We understand that it is not easy for any organization to forecast budgets for maintenance years into the future. However, a successful park, well used with popular amenities, offers the greatest assurance that it will be well cared for.