The Town of Chevy Chase Council has decided not to purchase an undeveloped parcel of land—7624 Lynn Dr.—for use as a public park.

The parcel of land, adjacent to Zimmerman Park, would have cost the town nearly $600,000, according to the town's website. 

"The [Town of Chevy Chase] Council voted unanimously (David Lublin being absent) not to proceed with the purchase because it was clear that the community did not favor this action," wrote Mayor Patricia Burda in a statement emailed to town residents.

At a recent public meeting, "[many] residents raised fair questions about, among other things, the utility of the property as parkland, whether the benefits of such a purchase were justified by the costs, or whether the money could be better spent on something else," Burda continued.  

"This is precisely the kind of input that the [Town of Chevy Chase] Council sought to solicit by holding a public hearing," she added.

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Still, "[what] was equally clear from all the testimony, however, is that a good number of residents feel that expanding open space or parkland within the Town’s borders could be a good thing for the Town, and maybe even a good use of some of the Town’s reserves. Many residents simply felt that 7624 Lynn [Dr.] was not the right property," Burda added.

Burda has asked the Town of Chevy Chase's Parks and Playground Commission to develop a set of criteria that can be used to determine what types of new parks could be useful to the town. Suggestions for future parks have included dog parks, community gardens, parks for ball-type games and "quiet pocket parks," she added.

What kinds of new parks would you like to see in your neighborhood? Would a dog park be useful to you? A little pocket park? Tell us in the comments.