Its Community Commons Park in Point of Rocks to receive an award.
Frederick, Md (KM) Some statewide recognition is coming to Frederick County’s Division of Parks and Recreation. The Maryland Recreation and Parks Association has honored the Division with the Landscape Site Award for the design of the Community Commons Park in Point of Rocks. which is located along Commerce Street near the town’s old train station.
“What makes the park exceptional is that since it is located in a 100-year floodplain, everything in the park was made to withstand flooding,” says County Executive Jan Gardner, who announced the award on Thursday during her public information briefing.
She said the park has amenities like a picnic shelter, restrooms, trails, water fountains and a footbridge, but they’ve been designed to hold up to rising water. “For example, the amphitheater, near the middle of the park, uses permeable concrete so water seeps through into the ground below,” says Gardner. “Designers actually developed a plan on what kind of plants will be used throughout the park. 12 specific grasses,shrubs, trees and flowers were chosen because they adapt well to flooding, like river birch and swamp milkweed.”
Gardner also announced that the Association is honoring the Division of Parks and Recreation with a Showcase Marketing and Communication Award for Best Activity Guide for the county’s publication called the Recreator, which is sent to households in the county, and describes activities at local parks. “Frederick County’s winter addition of the Recreator was judged the best guide among recreation agencies in the state which serves a population of 150,000,” she says.
A third honor was the Showcase Marketing and Communications Award for Best Social Media. Gardner says that was for a social media campaign conducted last year called “Discover Your Parks” challenge. Participants were encouraged to take part in a scavenger hunt, looking for a large green pickle in 10 locations in the parks around the county. Those who found the pickle received a prize. Clues were posted on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page.
“By challenging teams or families with a scavenger hunt, people were motivated to come out and discover the fabulous parks we have all across Frederick County,” says Gardner.
Division staff will be in Laurel next Thursday, February 28th to formally receive their awards. .
By Kevin McManus