Board approves removal of oak and pine at 106 Niblick Road; requires three 3-inch-caliper canopy trees as mitigation

The Summerville Tree Protection Board approved removal of two trees — a water oak and a pine — at 106 Niblick Road and required mitigation with three canopy trees of 3-inch caliper to be planted at installation.

Homeowner Richard Quarry told the board the oak has cracked interior walls and has previously caused sewer-line intrusion by roots; he also said power-company crews have trimmed branches away from overhead lines multiple times. “There was some hollow spots in the tree,” he said, describing prior on-site testing.

Board inspectors reported several cavity pockets and internal decay in the oak that extended into the trunk and said the species, a water oak, is unlikely to seal the decay. Inspectors also described root-collar and trunk concerns on the pine and said the pine canopy had suffered storm damage that left large openings. Given the observed cavities and the plumbing damage attributed to roots, board members said removal was warranted.

A motion to approve removal of both the pine and the oak, with mitigation requiring three canopy trees of 3-inch caliper at the time of installation, passed after a second. The town’s arborist agreed to work with the homeowner on mitigation species and placement.

Board members noted that root pruning at the foundation can be a homeowner option to reduce root pressure toward structures, but they stressed that the oak showed structural decline beyond root encroachment. The transcript shows the board agreed mitigation should replace the lost canopy, and the homeowner accepted follow-up contact from the town arborist about suitable replacement species.