Mature shade trees lining the current GEICO driveways and parking lots.
The site plans for the proposed development at GEICO site include asking for a variance so that they can remove almost all the specimen sized trees on the 29 acre campus to make room for apartments and town houses. The impact to the environment of the lost of every mature shade tree cannot be overstated. And while EYA states that they will plant over 650 trees, their planting list does not include any shade trees but rather small under-story trees like were planted at their Westbard redevelopment project.
The plans were submitted on March 30, 2026. The list and location of trees to be removed can be viewed HERE along with the EYA statement of justification.
LFWA Comments
As the development is located across Willard Avenue from the Little Falls Branch and right in the heart of the watershed, we are carefully reviewing plans, meeting with Montgomery County Planning staff and submitting comments for public record.
Along with the loss of all mature trees from this beautiful campus, we have many areas of concern.
Brookdale Park:
Conveying land: The Brookdale Neighborhood Park is owned by GEICO who leases it to Montgomery Parks. This property must be conveyed to Montgomery Parks as part of the redevelopment. This was specified in 1998, when GEICO first explored redevelopment. We expect EYA to honor this commitment. And their plans suggests that they are prepared too.
Configuration of the Park: EYA site plans call for a road along the development side of the park. The 1998 plans kept green space on the development side of the park and located the road away from this area. We recommend that they keep this configuration in their new plans. Two very large specimen trees would be preserved and the road would not present a hazard to park users.
Park Enhancements: EYA has proposed several “park enhancements” including tennis courts, a full-size basketball court, a concert space. The park is a very natural wooded area at this time. We are opposed to any chances that would impact the tree either by compacting the soil or removing them.
Stream Buffer:
The current site plan shows the little Cortland tributary and the limits of the 100 foot stream buffer. We applaud the applicants commitment to restoring and maintaining this buffer. That said, there are several structures located in the buffer which should be moved in keeping with County Environmental guidelines that limit buildings in a stream buffer.
Greenway:
The sector plan specifies a path or “greenway” to run from Willard Avenue to Western. The path is meant to to be a combined bike and pedestrian path and should be located 50 to 70 feet away from any buildings. The plans need to be adjusted to reflect this requirement. Also, the path should not be located on the road.
Other areas of concern:
Please click HERE to read the comments that LFWA has submitted to the Planning Board.
What’s Next?
May 6: The Applicant is scheduled to resubmit plans based on the feedback they have received from Montgomery Planning by May 6. At that time, we will review the changes, meet with the Planning Board and offer more comments.
July 30, 2026: The project is scheduled to come before the Planning Board for approval at the end of July - 120 days from when the plan was first submitted.
