Montgomery County Planning Board has revealed the design for the Germantown Town Center Urban Park. Construction for the park is set to begin this spring, to be completed and open to the public fall 2011. 

The park will be located on the land behind the Germantown library. The park's unique design works with the natural elements already in place to create a "passive" feel, said Andrew Frank, environmental engineering supervisor for the Park Development Division.

Features include a pavilion for community use, "interpretative trails" with two-toned tan and charcoal-colored concrete pathways, lighting, overlook terraces, boardwalks, gardens and ornamental water features. According to Franks, the design was modified from its original plan, which included more extensive landscaping and an "ornate" design along the pathways, due to budgetary constraints.

Montgomery County Planning Board approved the plan and design on June 30, 2005. Funding for the park comes from $160,000 from the 2002 Capital Improvements Program, a $300,000 developer contribution, made in 2004, from Fairfield Germantown farms, and an additional $35,000 from the Capital Improvements Program fund. 

The park will be constructed along the border of the land's existing wetlands. According to Frank, the park is designed to maintain and protect the wildlife currently inhabiting the land. Another consideration was the amount of skateboarding activity the park was expected to attract. To protect against damage to the park, the concrete chosen for the walls and pathways can withstand regular skateboarding, Frank said.

The development of the park was originally proposed in the Germantown Master Plan, approved in 1989, which called for the development of a public "urban park in the stream valley" intended to create an open space area for residents.