Tree Commission
(This page discusses the City Council-appointed Tree Commission. For information on the City’s Urban Forestry program, tree permitting, and tree education, please see the Urban Forestry page.)
The Takoma Park Tree Commission was established “to preserve, protect and promote the urban forest of Takoma Park” and to hear appeals from tree permit decisions.
The Tree Commission has two main functions:
- Advisory: The Tree Commission, with the assistance of the Urban Forest Manager, proposes rules, regulations, procedures and actions to be taken by the City to preserve and protect the urban forest, subject to the approval of the Council, and performs any other related duties assigned by the Council by ordinance or resolution.
- Quasi-Judicial: to hear appeals from tree permit decisions, either from residents who have been denied a permit from the City to remove a tree or to conduct a restricted project around trees, or from neighbors who may object to the removal of a tree or project that has been given preliminary approval from the City Arborist.
See the following City Code sections regarding the Tree Commission:
- 2.17 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
- 12.04.130 Tree Commission
- 12.12.087 Tree permit appeal hearings and decisions.
Tree Commission Hearing Decisions
One of the Tree Commission’s primary responsibilities is to hear appeals to preliminary approvals and denials for Tree Removal and Tree Protection Plan permits issued by the Urban Forest Manager. See below for a record of Decisions issued by the Tree Commission.
| Hearing Date | Case Number | Address |
|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | TC-2024-01 | 7018 Poplar Ave |
| December 7, 2021 | TC-2021-01 | 7205 Flower Avenue |
| December 15, 2020 | 2020-02 | 430 - 434 Ethan Allen Avenue |
| August 12, 2020 | 2020-01 | 7600 Takoma Avenue |
| November 14, 2019 | 2019-02 | 7804 Carroll Avenue |
| February 28, 2019 | 2019-01 | 7222 Garland Avenue |
| November 29, 2018 | 2018-07 | 7316 Flower Avenue |
| November 20, 2018 | 2018-06 | 7110 Woodland Avenue |
| October 11, 2018 | 2018-05 | 22 Philadelphia Avenue |
| June 14, 2018 | 2018-04 | 715 Devonshire Avenue |
| March 7, 2018 | 2018-03 | 1103 Lancaster Avenue |
| February 1, 2018 | 2018-02 | 7222 Garland Avenue |
| January 11, 2018 | 2018-01 | 914 Glaizewood Avenue |
| November 9, 2017 | 2017-08 | 102 Geneva Avenue |
| November 2, 2017 | 2017-07 | 7412 Cedar Avenue |
| October 26, 2017 | 2017-06 | 334 Lincoln Avenue |
| July 27, 2017 | 2017-04 | 817 Colby Avenue |
| June 29, 2017 | 2017-03 | 7102 14th Avenue |
| May 25, 2017 | 2017-02 | 7320 Willow avenue |
| April 11, 2017 | 2017-01 | 6501 Kansas Avenue |
Membership
The Tree Commission is composed of seven members appointed by the City Council. Each member serves a three-year term, ending June 30, and may apply for re-appointment to another term. Any interested resident of Takoma Park may apply to become a Tree Commissioner. Current Commission members are:
Tree Commission Members
| First Name | Ward | Term Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Do | 3 | 2025 |
| Paul Donowitz | 2 | 2027 |
| Meipo Martin | 2 | 2025 |
| Paul O'Brien | 4 | 2025 |
| Xavier Sparrow | 3 | 2026 |
| James Woodworth, Commission Chair | 2 | 2027 |
| Vacant | 2026 |
Tree Commission Meetings
The Tree Commission meets the second Wednesday each quarter at 7:00 pm, The meeting are held remotely via Zoom. The meetings (and hearings) are open to the public.
For more information, please contact the Urban Forest Manager who serves as the liaison to the Tree Commission: urbanforestmanager@takomaparkmd.gov.
2024 Tree Commission meeting schedule
| Meeting Date | Link to Document(s) |
|---|---|
| 2024-02-14 | Meeting Agenda |
| 2024-05-08 | Agenda |
| 2024-08-14 | Agenda |
| 2024-11-13 | Agenda Meeting Recording |
2022-2023 Tree Commission Agendas and Minutes
| Date | Agenda & Minutes (PDF) |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-08 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2023-08-09 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2023-05-10 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2023-02-08 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-11-30 | Meeting Agenda |
| 2022-06-08 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-05-11 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-04-13 | Agenda (The Tree Commission is scheduled to go into closed session after the meeting adjourns for the evening.) Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-03-09 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-02-09 | Agenda Meeting Minutes |
| 2022-01-12 | Meeting Cancelled |
Important Documents
- Tree Commission Bylaws (last revised on May 10, 2023)
