Windermere Residents Rally to Save Prized Tree Canopy

Windermere is a quiet suburban oasis, an established enclave with mature trees lining its popular Windermere Circle. The community of British styled colonial homes is just one to two miles from every imaginable convenience. Many residents formed the Coalition of Windermere Neighbors in mid-December 2018 to fight back against the encroachments posed by an unpopular Sidewalk Proposal initiated by new residents from a neighboring community, and even some within Windermere that have recently moved in.

Barkin and Esin Guner and their two daughters left the 17 floor Sterling condominium complex at 1700 Old Georgetown Road. The Sterling was part of an earlier 2006 development phase of the White Flint Pike District Area. The Sterling has 197 condominiums, which approximates the number of all of the homes within the three sections of Windermere.

“We wanted our kids to grow up in a single family home community while being able to enjoy the outdoors in the neighborhood,” said Mr. Guner. “We searched for a home for almost two years, and then focused on just Windermere. We see ourselves fortunate to become Windermere residents.”

The Guners purchased a home on Starwood Way, one of the few private lanes in Windermere. Their daughters Ipek and Buket, both 10 years old, and fraternal twins, attend nearby Luxmanor Elementary School. When Buket learned of the tree removal requirements for the county’s Sidewalk Proposal, she got to work on a letter to Frank Kingsley at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), Lori Main with O'Connell & Lawrence, Inc., and to Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson.

Buket had such incisive perceptions, that ability to both look and see; and to understand Windermere and its heavily treed environment. She recently got the attention of many after she saw a flyer asking residents to speak for the birds in opposing the county’s sidewalk proposal.

“We were likewise impressed,” said Aaron Kraut, the legislative aid to Councilmember Friedson.

Buket wrote,

“I’m writing to you about [the] Sidewalk Proposal for Luxmanor, Tilden Woods & Windermere Subdivisions. I am a fourth grader from Luxmanor Elementary School, and I speak for the trees. I do not want the trees cut down for several reasons. I am now going to tell you about them.

My first reason is that the construction will make a lot a noise. It can distract a lot of people. For example, you come home from a hard day at work, and are planning to relax and read your book. But you can’t even concentrate because of the construction in your front yard. You would be really mad, right?

My second reason is that cutting down the trees is bad for the environment. If we cut a lot of trees, the next thing you know, there are no trees left in Windermere! We all want Windermere to look beautiful, so cutting down too much trees will just make it worse.

My last reason is that there are animals living in and around the trees. Birds, squirrels, insects, and more live in the trees. It is their home. They live in it and love it.

Imagine having to move out of your house so suddenly. You would be so surprised. If you still do not understand, lets change our lives around. You are the mom of three baby birds, and suddenly you see people walking down below. Then you understand what they are going to do. They are going to cut the trees, you think. So, you say to your kids, “Quickly, children, out of the nest, now!” And your little birds ask you, “But why, Mommy?” And you tell them why, but they do not understand. You still move out, and try to find another tree to live in. All the trees are full, unfortunately, because of all the trees being cut down and other animals moving in other trees. You find a little tree with a little space, build a nest, and try to continue your life, but it isn’t the same. See what I mean?

There are beautiful animals living in the trees, and I do not want them to be sad and suffer.

My family just moved to Windermere, and one of the reasons why we moved here is that Windermere is very beautiful.”

As of January 16, 2019, Ms. Main of O'Connell & Lawrence, Inc. stated that of the 188 responses, 75 percent opposed the county’s Sidewalk Proposal presented to Tilden Woods, Luxmanor, and Windermere, and only 25 percent favored. The request for a sidewalk originated two years ago on just Marcliff Drive when the inquiry came to the Luxmanor Citizens Association, then it just spun out of control.

This is the ninth article in a series on Windermere and community planning in North Bethesda.
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