Press Releases
Leggett and Other Officials Participate in Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New MCPS and M-NCPPC Facilities Maintenance Depots; A Smart Growth Initiative Project
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony for another Smart Growth Initiative project (SGI), the new Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Central Maintenance Depot and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Green Farm Maintenance Facility, located at 8301 Turkey Thicket Drive in Gaithersburg.
"It is especially gratifying to see the completion of a project in my Smart Growth Initiative which continues the vision of using our County’s building site resources to their greatest potential,” said Leggett. “Thousands of residents, young and old, use our public school facilities and County parks facilities every day. We want to support their continued maintenance to ensure safety and efficiency for everyone.”
Joining Mr. Leggett to provide remarks were: Montgomery County Board of Education President Michael A. Durso, Montgomery Parks Director Michael F. Riley and Department of General Services Director David E. Dise.
The new facilities maintenance depots are located in the Montgomery County Multi- Agency Service Park. Leggett’s SGI, which supports the Shady Grove Sector Plan, was introduced by the County Executive in 2008, and represents a bold program designed to provide critically-needed public facilities by leveraging County-owned land for use in job creation and in providing transit-oriented housing. The SGI aims to:
- Replace and modernize antiquated public facilities;
- Maintain a competitive, resilient, and sustainable economy;
- Create transit-oriented development;
- Support efficiency by co-locating compatible departments with related uses;
- Construct thousands of new housing units, including Moderately Priced Dwelling Units and workforce units;
- Encourage higher-paying jobs in a transit-oriented bioscience area, and;
- Save County funds currently spent on rental payments for leased private property.
The Shady Grove Sector Plan, approved by the County Council in 2005, called for transitioning the area around the Shady Grove Metro from light industrial uses to transit-oriented development. To accomplish that goal, the County Service Park facilities, which were located in the heart of the planning area along Crabbs Branch Way, had to be relocated.
The former Facility maintenance depots were outdated and in need of multiple capital improvements. By relocating them to the Multi-Agency Service Park, they utilize campus-wide innovations such as a shared mechanical and electrical central plant, fueling facility and innovative storm water management devices.
“As Montgomery County Public Schools continues to grow in square footage and enrollment, so do the responsibilities of our maintenance facilities,” stated Montgomery County Board of Education President Michael Durso. “The new depot provides our maintenance staff with the resources to be more efficient and effective in their service to our students and staff for the next century.”
The new MCPS Central Maintenance Depot provides essential maintenance services to 204 schools and other support facilities. The staff in this building include several diverse teams that support schools with the following services: facility maintenance and repair, environmental, indoor air quality, regulatory compliance, building automation, vehicle and equipment repair, contract administration and division management. This facility houses the maintenance functions that provide a healthy, safe and high-quality learning experience for students and staff. Across the parking garage, the Division of Food and Nutrition Services operates the central production facility where approximately 85,000 meals are prepared daily and delivered to schools.
“Green Farm is a terrific partnership and collaboration. By sharing space with the County and Montgomery County Public Schools, we can better collaborate and streamline operations for a variety of benefits – environmental benefits, financial benefits and more efficient use of resources,” said Montgomery Parks Director Riley. “We look forward to continuing on this path when we relocate to the new Park and Planning Headquarters in Wheaton where we will be co-located with various County agencies.”
The mission of Montgomery Parks is to protect and interpret our valuable natural and cultural resources; balance the demand for recreation with the need for conservation; offer a variety of enjoyable recreational activities that encourage healthy lifestyles; and provide clean, safe and accessible places for leisure-time activities. The Green Farm Maintenance Facility supports that mission with a state-of- the-art computerized Building Operation System, and includes training rooms, an IT training center, fitness center, maintenance shops and warehouse. There is also a Fleet facility with heavy-duty and light-duty bays, and a Forestry and Environmental Education building with equipment bay and administrative offices.
The Facilities Maintenance Depots are designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification by incorporating innovative features. The design is conceived to make sustainability not only a matter of achieving a point total, but making it an integral and seamless part of the buildings and landscape.
The construction contractor is Hensel Phelps. The architectural firm is Giuliani Associates Architects. The approximate cost of the project is $69 million.
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Media Contact: Lucille Baur 240-777-6507