The city held a community meeting for public review and input for the Indian Creek Park concept plan at the Springhill Lake Recreation Center on Tuesday, February 17. The city-
contracted Mahan Rykiel Associates landscape architecture firm reviewed the plan they updated based on community feedback from a November 2025 meeting and resident emails since then. Greenbelt’s Assistant Director of Planning Jaime Fearer expected the February 17 plan to likely go forward, with only minor revisions.
Park Location
The park is in Greenbelt West, bounded on the west by Indian Creek, the Greenbelt Station neighborhood and the Concrete Institute property; on the east by Cherrywood Lane and the Prince George’s Scrap facility; on the south by Branchville Road; and on the north by woodlands south of Greenbelt Metro station. It currently consists of an open field with the paved Indian Creek trail on its eastern side, connecting to trails at Greenbelt Station’s north end and to Cherrywood Lane. The narrow site is constrained by the surrounding properties and Indian Creek and its floodplain, making it challenging to fit community members’ requested features into the design.
Attendees included 10 residents of Greenbelt Station and other Greenbelt neighborhoods; Fearer; Scott Scarfone and Anthony Dye of Mahan Rykiel; Assistant Recreation Director Andrew Phelan; City Manager Josué Salmerón; Mayor Emmett Jordan; City Councilmembers Frankie Fritz, Danielle McKinney, Jenni Pompi and Kristen Weaver; and Planning and Recreation Advisory Board Chair Matt Sickle.
Park Elements
The two entrances will be from the north via the existing Indian Creek trail and from the south at Branchville Road. The south entrance will have nine standard parking spaces, two accessible spaces and stormwater management features.
Immediately north of the parking lot will be a fenced community garden to the west and fenced dog park on the east. The gardens will have raised beds with imported soil, due to poor soil stemming from the park previously being a rubble site. The plan has 35 2×20-foot beds and four 4×10-foot accessible beds, a water source, tool shed, compost area and driveway access from the parking lot to deliver materials.
The dog park will have two spaces: one 7,000 square foot space for large dogs and one 4,700 square foot space for small dogs, with a double-gated entry for leashing/unleashing, a water fountain and shaded seating. The small dog space is closest to the park entrance, with the large dog space north of it. Whether the spaces will be open lawns or also have some dog play/exercise equipment is not yet decided.
To the north will be a 20-foot-wide round or octagonal pavilion, and sports courts, including two pickleball courts eastward and a multi-sport court westward, with specific sports to be determined, such as basketball or volleyball. There will be shaded seating.
Benches, Paths, Trees
The northernmost section will be an open grassy area with a proposed bench swing. Benches will be located throughout the park. The existing Indian Creek trail on the east will remain as is, with a slight southern realignment to the new entrance. Secondary paths will connect park features to each other and the Indian Creek trail. The dawn-to-dusk park will not have lights, nor restrooms, which Scarfone said can’t be built in the floodplain that covers much of the park. Path and parking lot surfaces are not yet determined and will dictate stormwater management features. Some trees or shrubs may be added, but not many because of the site’s poor soil.
Discussion, Suggestions
Hanover Parkway Dog Park user Joe Lomax suggested switching the large and small dog spaces to place large dogs closest to the park entrance, believing that large dog spaces are used more than small dog spaces.
Jordan suggested adding bike parking, which Scarfone enthusiastically accepted and then suggested a bike repair station.
Attendees discussed whether or not to include outdoor fitness equipment in the small park. Greenbelt Station resident
McKinney said residents there haven’t identified such equipment as a priority. Nearby Lake Artemesia has such equipment; opinions differed on how much it is used and whether high use there argues for or against it at Indian Creek.
Greenbelt Station resident Adriene Lim asked about environmental studies, given the proximity of Prince George’s Scrap. Scarfone said the city didn’t task Mahan Rykiel with such studies. Weaver answered a question about city testing by noting that the city can’t test the scrap site without owner permission. Regarding Indian Creek water quality, Scarfone said the scrap site sends no runoff to the higher park terrain. Salmerón believed water testing occurs within the city’s Indian Creek stream restoration project with the Army Corps of Engineers. There were no conclusions about whether the facility affects air quality.
Next Steps
Mahan Rykiel will update the concept plan with February 17 feedback. Residents may continue to provide feedback by email to planninginfo@greenbeltmd.gov. A joint Advisory Planning Board and Park & Recreation Advisory Board meeting in March or April will review the updated plan, followed by a June council worksession and formal council approval expected in summer 2026. After council approval, the Planning Department will determine funding sources, including grants, and plan and schedule engineering and construction. The presentation and project updates are at tinyurl.com/6v4ujncb.
