Committees advance Western County Recreation Center; design to begin in FY28 with 1,000‑sq‑ft medical suite

A joint work session of Montgomery County’s planning, housing and parks committee and the health and human services committee voted unanimously to advance the Western County Recreation Center project, including a roughly 1,000‑square‑foot medical suite, and signaled that design will begin in fiscal 2028.

The recreation department director said the department “is looking forward to this project being completed and the keys turned over to us,” and Department of General Services Director David Dice said the county expects to begin design in FY28 and proceed through construction afterward. "The design on the project will begin in FY28 and we'll proceed unfettered through, design and construction from that point on," Dice said.

Why it matters: committee members said the center is intended to address sharp health disparities in the Poolesville area and to bring recreation, health and supportive services to the Up County. Council member Sales said county health‑outcome analysis showed the Poolesville ZIP code had the county’s worst health outcomes, and members stressed transportation planning and programming must match local needs.

The medical suite and interim steps: DGS deputy director Greg Austin described the planned HHS suite as a relatively small component of the facility — "about 1,000 square feet total" with storage, clinical spaces and medical exam rooms — and said plumbing is included in the program. Austin said the CIP currently contains an allowance for furniture and equipment but that exact items will be identified during design: "in this number, in the CIP number, it's just an allowance built into the CIP, not knowing exactly what that equipment is yet," he said.

Transportation and hours of service: several council members raised concerns that Up County residents — including farmers and low‑wage workers — will need nonstandard hours and reliable transport to access services. One member asked the Department of Transportation to develop routes and schedules that align with programming. Council member Sales suggested micro‑transit as an on‑demand option better suited than fixed routes for low‑density areas: "micro transit... could be the better scalpel type of approach," Sales said.

Next steps and oversight: committee members were told design work will start in FY28, with programming, equipment and operating budgets returning to the council for review and approval during later updates. The chair asked for approval “as submitted,” members signaled assent by raising their hands, and the chair recorded a unanimous approval; the transcript does not list individual vote names or a numeric tally.

The council will continue community engagement with Poolesville and the Fair Access Committee to refine program hours and services before construction and operations decisions are finalized.