Outdoor Center and Bike Shop Planned along MacArthur Boulevard

A Rockville businessman and conservationist has proposed an outdoor recreation center at Rockwood Manor Park on MacArthur Boulevard in Potomac.

You can read the whole article here.

Sunny Pitcher, founder of kayaking instruction school Potomac Paddlesports, hopes the center will function as a nature-centric community hub for outdoor enthusiasts who already use the area for activities such as hiking, biking and kayaking.

Pitcher is proposing to shoulder the $1 million cost for the project, which doesn't include proposed road improvements. Depending on approvals, he hopes the center could open as soon as spring or summer.

The center would also feature a bike shop. "We will have amenities there for people to have their bicycle repaired if they get a flat tire," Pitcher said. "They'll be able to purchase things they may have forgot or left home before they head up to Great Falls."

Though it's not part of the proposal for Rockwood, Pitcher says he hopes to work with entities like the National Park Service and the State Highway Administration to relieve traffic along MacArthur Boulevard. His ideas include a dedicated bike lane.

Matt Logan, president of the C&O Canal Trust lauded potential plans for easing pedestrian and bicycle access along MacArthur Boulevard.

Comments

[Ian - Trail Voice]

According to the Montgomery Parks website, Sunny and his team have actually withdrawn their initial proposal: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/

[Bilsko]

Bummer that they've pulled back on the proposal. It sounds like a great idea - although I do wonder how some riders would react to having to climb half of the Great Falls-MacArthur Hill just to get up to the Shop.