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Description: The National Park Seminary Historic District is an eclectic group of structures that began as an Inn and later served as a private girls school. In 1942 the U.S. Army acquired the school under the War Powers Act for use as a convalescent center for soldiers injured in World War II. Until recently, the site served as part of the Forest Glen Annex to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

In 2001, the Army declared the National Park Seminary Historic District to be surplus to their needs and authorized the General Services Administration to dispose of the site along with a vacant parcel of land across Linden Lane to the west. Montgomery County is actively facilitating the transfer of the site from the Federal Government to the next user. Development proposals were solicited, reviewed and discussed with the community. After a competitive bid process, County Executive Duncan selected a parnership between the Alexander Company and Eakin Yougentob Associates to redevelop the property, preserving as many of the historic structures as possible. Montgomery County accepted the property from the Army and transferred it to the developer on October 25, 2004.

A rezoning from R-90 to the PD-15 zone was proposed by the Forest Glen Venture LLC, the partnership between the Alexander Company and Eakin Yougentob Associates. The subject property for the rezoning includes approximately 32 acres with 29 buildings. The proposed project included the renovation of many of the historic National Park Seminary structures. The development plan proposed no more than 280 dwelling units on site including 169 multifamily residences, 98 townhomes and 13 single family detached dwellings. Approximately 20% of the units will be Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs); however, the applicant is achieving no density bonus. The proposal also includes the relocation on-site of Carroll House, a transitional housing facility for men operated by Catholic Charities. Approximately 16 acres of land is forested; much of it is stream valley including the "historic glen," an area with paths and statuary. The proposal provides for improved access and connections to parkland.

Montgomery County has identified this project for the Green Tape process and M-NCPPC has also applied an expedited review process. The Montgomery County Planning Board considered the rezoning application on December 16, 2004 and voted unanimously to recommend approval. The County Council, approved the rezoning in Spring 2005. The Planning Board was then asked to approve a preliminary plan of subdivision and site plan, encompassing 280 dwelling units including 56 MPDUs. A groundbreaking for the project was held on November 17, 2005.

Detailed historical background on the Forest Glen site can be found in a book published by Save Our Seminary (SOS) entitled Enchanted Forest Glen and also on SOS's Web site (http://www.saveourseminary.org)

MNCPPC Staff Contact:
Gwen Wright, Historic Preservation Section, (301) 563 - 3413, e-mail
Glenn Kreger, Silver Spring Team, (301) 495 - 4653, e-mail

PLEASE CONTACT THE APPLICANT-- NOT STAFF-- FOR SALE/RENTAL INFORMATION

Applicant:
Forest Glen Venture LLC c/o Eakin Yougentob Associates Development, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 2720, Arlington, VA 22209

Opportunities for Public Participation:
A Seminary Advisory Board continues to provide communication between the community and the developer. The mailing address for the Seminary Advisory Board is 2924 Woodstock Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Planning Board Review Process & Case Number:
Preliminary plan #1-05054 and site plan #8-05024

Planning Board Action:
The preliminary and site plans were approved on April 7, 2005.

Notes from M-NCPPC Staff Contacts:
Historic covenants will transfer with the property to the new owner. The Maryland Historical Trust will ensure compliance with the covenants. Historic Area Work Permits from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission are also needed before facades of the historic structures can be altered.

Date of last page update: June 21, 2006