Priority Urban Forest to be removed as part of GEICO redevelopment
After nearly 6 hours of testimony and overwhelmingly public support for saving the GEICO trees and the urban canopy, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved the EYA redevelopment plans for 29 acre parcel and their request for variances to remove the mature specimen trees. At the July 30 meeting, the Planning Board agreed with the Staff report which recommended approval with no additional contingencies about retaining mature trees in the greenway, and the Priority Urban Forest.
The applicant was granted a variance to remove the specimen trees and the Priority Urban Forest which backs up to the Cortland residences. Of the 585 trees documented in 1998 when the last census of the tree was done, the majority will be removed during the redevelopment with retained trees being primarily located in Brookdale Park and around the small stream along Cortland Road.
The little Brookdale park will be conveyed to Montgomery Parks, but with a significantly reduced footprint. The new park will be only 2.35 acres, instead of 3.1 acres that it is today. A sidewalk and road are planned for what is now the northern edge of the park.
redevelopment doesn’t have to come at the expense of trees
The developer was asked by the Planning Board to make an effort to save mature trees and EYA agreed to do so. We believe that the parcel can be redeveloped with the same density, but without the massive loss of trees. Smart growth and more housing does not have to come at the expense of the environment. It does not have to be either or. We applaud the Planning Board on their request as many documents produced by the County emphasis the need for a robust urban canopy. We will be following the redevelopment to see if EYA is able to deliver on this promise.
Map of Tree Loss on the GEICO property. According to a 1998 census (the most recent we have), there are 585 trees on the GEICO property. The red Xs show the trees that will be removed. This includes all the ones on the GEICO campus, the Priority Urban Forest and most of the trees along the greenway. Only the trees in the small Brookdale park and the stream valley buffer are being retained during the redevelopment.
LFWA COMMENTS and testimony
As part of our advocacy process, LFWA met many times with the Planning Staff, Montgomery Parks, and EYA. We also submitted comments to the agencies and written and oral testimony to the Planning Board.
LFWA Comments and Testimony
April 30, 2026 - comments to Planning Staff
May 27, 2026 - comments to Planning Staff
July 20, 2026 - comments to Planning Staff
July 28, 2028 - testimony for July 30 Planning Board Hearing
Montgomery County Guidelines and Laws to protect trees
Montgomery County is known for their strict and progressive environmental guidelines. Recently, the Forest Conservation Law was amended to include Urban Forests. The Silver Spring Streetscape Standards has sections on the importance of an urban canopy and recommendations for how to insure that our urban canopies thrive. The Climate Action Plan also promotes the value of an urban canopy in fighting climate change.
Click HERE for a list of many of the documents that Montgomery County has developed to help set policy on trees and urban forests.