Garrett Park residents want storied rec center to remain open

But at Monday’s Town Council meeting, Mary Bradford, director of county parks said the report was flawed.

She said the study ‘‘missed the soul of the issue” by only looking at financial benefits.

‘‘We should have taken this study to the community first,” she said.

The Garrett Park Estates recreational center, which houses the town nursery school cooperative, was among those flagged to be torn down or transferred to Montgomery County Public Schools.

Bradford said planners did not meet with the communities to gain their input on the future of the centers before submitting the report to the Montgomery County Planning Board earlier this summer.

The report, which evaluated 31 small and medium recreation centers, looked at the financial aspects of keeping the centers open. Four other sites — in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Kensington — were used less than 30 percent of the time they are available.

The Garrett Park center loses $3,400 annually between maintenance costs and fee revenue, and will need a new roof among other improvements, according to the report.

Parents and concerned residents formed the Save Our School Task Force following media coverage of the parks report in early August.

‘‘We had no idea they were talking about us,” said Brenda Artim, school director. The report made no reference to the nursery school and upset parents who said the school is intrinsic to town life. There are more than 35 children, 3 and 4 years old, at the school.

‘‘[The nursery school] is a way for us to get to know other grown ups in town,” said Tara Flynn, co-chair of the task force. ‘‘You can’t just drop your kids off and go, you have to be involved. You’re immediately a part of a community.”

Not only that, but residents built the building with wood from Ft. Meade barracks in 1948, purchased by the county for $7,500.

Garrett Park families are not alone.

Mike Saunders, president of the Randolph Civic Association in North Bethesda, said residents are equally concerned about the loss of their Randolph Hills Recreation Center.

‘‘They’re basically stealing our town hall,” Saunders said. ‘‘They’re attacking the very fabric of our organization’s existence.”

The association was founded more than 50 years ago and essentially served as the association’s town hall for meetings, picnics and other events for the 1,400 homes in the neighborhood near Montrose Road. The Randolph Hills Recreation Center is closed now, and the community meets at nearby, yet less convenient to walk to, Veirs Mill Recreation Center.

‘‘The bean counters say ... these buildings aren’t paying for themselves,” Saunders said. ‘‘Well, fire and police protection don’t pay for themselves either. We pay taxes for our parks and recreation. It was never intended to be self-supporting.”

The association has met with the Montgomery County Civic Association to organize a collective effort with other neighborhoods concerned about losing their community centers.

However, Bradford told Garrett Park residents that no decision will be made until planners have met with each concerned community.

Learn More

Garrett Park Nursery School information is available at www.garrettparknurseryschool.org

Randolph Civic Association information is available at www.randolphcivic.org

Upcoming community meetings with county parks department will be available at www.parkplanningandstewardship.org