Montgomery Parks wants residents to weigh in on a proposed policy that would let private donors fund improvements to athletic fields across the county's 417 parks.
The Athletic Field Amenity Donation Draft Policy, announced Wednesday, Sept. 9, would create a formal process for individuals and groups to donate money for upgrades such as field lighting, batting cages, practice walls, dugouts and year-round turf fields. Donors could also convey new parkland to expand field capacity.
A public survey is open through Friday, Oct. 9, at engage.montgomeryparks.org/en/projects/athletic-field-amenity-donation-policy. The Montgomery County Planning Board will consider survey responses before voting on a final version of the policy.
Miti Figueredo, director of Montgomery Parks, said the policy would help offset budget pressures by "creating a clear path for private donations" rather than relying solely on public dollars.
The agency has not named specific parks or fields that would be first in line for donor-funded upgrades.
Synthetic turf debate adds local stakes
The policy arrives as synthetic turf remains a contested issue in the Potomac area. In December 2025, the West Montgomery County Citizens Association hosted Diana Conway, president of Safe Healthy Playing Fields Inc. and a Potomac resident, at the Potomac Library to discuss health and environmental concerns tied to synthetic turf. Conway's group has spent more than 15 years pushing back against artificial playing surfaces.
Separately, Montgomery County Public Schools' $55 million plan to install artificial turf at six high schools drew opposition at an Aug. 22 Board of Education meeting. Student athletes and County Executive Marc Elrich spoke against the plan, WTOP reported.
The parks department's draft policy lists "year-round turf fields" among its goals but does not specify whether that means synthetic turf or all-weather natural grass. That distinction matters here. The debate over artificial surfaces in western Montgomery County has run for more than a decade.
The full text of the draft policy was not available for review as of Thursday, Sept. 10. Details such as minimum donation thresholds, naming rights and donor eligibility criteria remain unclear.
How to participate
Residents can take the survey at engage.montgomeryparks.org/en/projects/athletic-field-amenity-donation-policy through Oct. 9. No Planning Board meeting date for a final vote has been announced.
