This is the moment to come out and show the school system and City Council how important our community pool is to residents. The outreach by the County to pool users, and in particular to residents of Maple Avenue, has been inadequate. Please come out and speak during the public comments period at the Takoma Park City Council meeting on July 23rd at 7:30pm in the City auditorium in the Community Center at 7500 Maple Ave.

The school system (MCPS) will be there on that night to present to the City the options for renovating Piney Branch Elementary School. (Only three of the options out of seven would preserve a pool). This is the chance to speak to both the school system, and to the City Councilmembers who are in the process of writing a resolution endorsing one of the renovation options. 

Children are welcome and encouraged to speak about what the pool means to them. Even a public comment of one sentence can be powerful. (There is a three minute time limit for every speaker). You do not have to sign up in advance to speak in person at the meeting. 

After this meeting, the school system will submit the options and public feedback to the Superintendent, who will choose an option. Then in the fall, we will need to advocate again with the Board of Education and the County Council to get our preferred Piney Branch renovation plan into the budget. 

Our whole community needs to come together now around options 3a or 4a--the options that would get a topnotch school renovation into the budget, increase parking for teachers, and also preserve the vital community resources (the pool and adult-sized gym) that we have now at Piney Branch. 

Please come and tell your pool story! 

City Council agenda: https://takomaparkmd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6787/Rolling-Agenda-20250702

MCPS outreach process (now concluded): https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/pineybranches/