Alongside community leaders and partners, Wills Group executives and our Community Engagement Committee members chose Tanglewood Park in Clinton, Maryland, as the next neighborhood revitalization project for the company’s pillar Community Engagement program, Reimagining Outdoor Spaces.
For nearly 100 years, the Wills Group has been committed to serving the diverse communities in which we live and operate. We express this as keeping Lives in Motion—moving our customers, neighbors, and employees forward toward their goals and dreams.
At the forefront, we’re helping customers at both our Dash In and Splash In ECO
Car Wash stores meet basic needs that allow them to pursue greater goals and ambitions. Behind the scenes, we’re engaging with employees and community members to identify opportunities that will help our communities thrive.
Reimagining Outdoor Spaces: Our Process
Reimagining Outdoor Spaces is one of our signature Community Engagement programs in which we work with community members to transform a neglected or underutilized outdoor space.
The selection process and enhancement decisions are almost entirely community driven. The Wills Group and our community partners conduct surveys and focus groups to learn first-hand what the community needs for the outdoor space. Along the way, we form the project’s scope and design enhancements with input from community members and seek final approval from local authorities.
Tanglewood Park will be our second outdoor revitalization project. The first, Phoenix Run Park in La Plata, Maryland, was completed in June 2022 after two years of collaborative efforts from local businesses, community members, and Wills Group employee volunteers.
The Wills Group invested more than $130,000 into the Phoenix Run Park transformation, along with contributions from local businesses. The space now features art-inspired basketball courts, walking paths, family seating areas and fresh landscaping. What was once a neglected neighborhood park is now a showpiece of community pride and recreational function.
Our process for Reimagining Outdoor Spaces aims to include as much input from the community as possible. We believe that a collaborative and inclusive approach will result in a better design, greater participation, and collective pride of ownership among park visitors.
About Tanglewood Park
Tanglewood Park is a 10-minute walk from our Clinton, Maryland, Dash-In store. The park, accessible by car or by public transit, is just minutes from Route 5.
Currently, amenities at Tanglewood Park include sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, trails, as well as basketball and tennis courts. The park is especially favored by youth and adult sports teams.
The Wills Group, Neighborhood Design Center, and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) have recently conducted two data collection days, in addition to a survey to determine which improvements would benefit park-goers the most. The survey identified our top five amenities for consideration:
- Trail mile markers
- Benches and seating
- Art incorporated into the basketball courts
- New grills in the picnic area
- Accessibility improvements at the playgrounds
Final approval for these improvements will be determined by the MNCPPC.
Why Outdoor Space Matters
Thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces make communities safer, happier and healthier. They bring people together and encourage an active lifestyle. They increase property values and drive further neighborhood investment. They support mental health and reduce neighborhood crime. Preserved green spaces are also beneficial to the environment, providing groundwater filtration and absorbing less heat from the sun.
The Wills Group is passionate about helping our communities thrive. By investing in park projects like Phoenix Run and Tanglewood, we’re helping to build stronger communities that enable its residents to pursue their goals and dreams more readily. This is the driving force behind Lives in Motion and an expression of our core values and purpose.
We’re eager to embark on our second outdoor space project at Tanglewood Park and our energetic staff are ready to breathe new life into this cherished public venue. We welcome you to follow along as we blog about our Tanglewood Park journey.
