Planning, Housing and Parks committee concurs with Recreation CIP amendments; approves $2 million for Silver Spring Aquatic Center change orders

The Montgomery County Planning, Housing and Parks Committee agreed Feb. 24 to concur with the County Executive’s recommended FY‑26 amendments to the Department of Recreation capital improvement program, approving a package of supplemental appropriations, schedule adjustments and technical changes by consensus.

The package included a $2,000,000 FY‑25 supplemental appropriation to cover outstanding change orders and general conditions for the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center, a $2,043,000 supplemental to add the Damascus Senior Center to the recreation facilities refurbishment program, schedule shifts for multiple indoor and outdoor pool projects, an amendment for the Holiday Park net‑zero façade initiative, and a technical funding adjustment to replace the shared agency booking system used by Recreation, Montgomery Parks and the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities.

Why it matters: The committee’s approvals adjust spending timing and add funding that county staff say cover work already completed or needed to finish construction and make safety/access repairs. The projects affect high‑use public pools and senior centers and include changes that county staff say will not require temporary facility closures in some cases but will require closures in others (notably the Martin Luther King Jr. Indoor Swim Center for deck and drainage work).

Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center supplemental The committee approved the executive’s FY‑25 supplemental request of $2,000,000 to pay outstanding change orders and general‑conditions costs tied to the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center, which the packet notes opened on Feb. 24, 2024. The packet lists nine representative change orders — including coding upgrades, HVAC and pool slide revisions, ADA paver upgrades to the garage, generator coordination, revised waterproofing details, additional pool commissioning and fire alarm integration — and general conditions such as gas line and meter relocation and elevator inspections. Council staff and Executive Branch representatives said the list in the packet is illustrative rather than exhaustive.

“All…