Nicole,

It is some kind of arborvitae. The browning parts are "leaders", or seperate parts of the tree that have died. It will not ever turn green again, its dead.

The tree must be removed. If you cut out the dead leader, (they look like big branches, growing out of the same trunk), the tree will look really bad.

Plant something else there, no arborvitae, try to stick with something smaller, like a bush. There are small bushes that you would like, sorry for the bad news.

Thanks for the info. We still have 2 healthy ones on the other side, so I'm thinking about a dwarf magnolia to match the height of the healthy ones. Do you think whatever got to the trees may still be in the soil? Do I need to treat the area?

Nicole,

I'm going to make a guess, I don't like the looks of where that bush was planted. It isn't at ground level, it is above the ground, and it is in direct line of all that water pouring off your roof when you have a good rain.

Conifers can take a beating, but they need GOOD drainage. I would never plant an arborvitae or any conifer in that tiny raised space right next to the roof like that.

If you plant something else there, don't plant a tree, a magnolia is a tree. Plant something small, that will have some space in that very small raised bed you have there. Try looking up albelia. I have one, they are ever green, member of homeysuckle family, and they have small types. Plants or shrubs(small), that don't need excellent drainage will do fine there.