Uncertain future for Bethesda rec centers

Mark S. Wallis, a senior park planner with the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, used the Lynnbrook recreation center as a case study during a Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meeting Monday. He explained county staff recommendations made earlier this year to demolish or transfer ownership of some buildings, market others and evaluate one historically.

‘‘The common denominator we heard from everybody was access,” said WMCCAB Chairman Peter Gubser after Monday’s meeting.

The Lynnbrook building on Newdale Road in Bethesda costs nearly $25,000 annually to maintain, according to commission statements. Only one-third of those expenses are recovered by public rental — a net loss of $16,625 each year.

The building is used only 11 percent of the time it’s available, according to records. To serve a public need, a building should have at least 30 percent usage, Wallis said.

But usage could be affected by factors such as parking — Lynnbrook has only 23 parking spaces — and lack of awareness that the building exists. Lynnbrook was recommended for three years of marketing and evaluation, to see if advertisement could boost usage.

The Planning Board will decide in early 2008 whether to adopt the recommendations, Wallis said.

Lynnbrook’s low margin of success predicts a grim future.

‘‘When you get in the 11 percent range, you say, hmm, will marketing put you up in that [30 percent] range? Not so sure,” Wallis said.

Wallis said practical hurdles could account for some of the low usage — renters must pick up and return keys during normal business hours from the parks building in Silver Spring.

At Norwood Local Park in Bethesda, a building that once belonged to the Bureau of Animal Industry was recommended for assessment ‘‘in terms of priority” for renovation as an historical building.

Residents worried officials would annex the center after deeming it historically important.

‘‘Anything that would preclude use by residents, I would oppose,” said Tom Stecher, whose family has long lived near Norwood park.

The facilities came under a microscope after the County Council requested evaluation by county agencies and institutions that control a large share of public facilities and amenities.

Residents have been invited to submit their comments by visiting mcparkandplanning.org⁄ppra. Wallis said other public meetings and outreach campaigns are planned for the future.

‘‘For years, they haven’t maintained these buildings,” said Celesta Jurkovich of the Chevy Chase West neighborhood association. ‘‘And they wonder why no one’s using them?”