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BZA allows homeowner to build addition near large live oak after arborist plan and pier foundation proposed
Summary
The board approved a variance letting a homeowner build a screened addition that encroaches on the critical root zone of a 73.5-inch live oak at 2141 Edisto Avenue, subject to an arborist monitoring plan, hand-dug piers and mitigation if the tree dies within three years.
The Charleston County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance permitting construction of a house addition that will encroach on the critical root zone of a 73.5-inch live oak at 2141 Edisto Avenue, after the homeowner submitted an arborist protection plan and a foundation design intended to limit root disturbance.
Applicant George Michael Rents Jr. told the board he had hired an independent arborist (Save a Tree) and a structural engineer to design minimally invasive pier foundations and hand-dug piers. The applicant said he had already engaged arborist services including pre-construction fertilization and monthly treatments to support the tree’s health. The proposed work includes piers rather than a continuous foundation to reduce root disturbance; the applicant said the screened porch steps will not require a deep foundation.
County staff noted the tree was graded a B (good) during the staff site visit and recommended conditions including retaining a certified arborist to monitor and treat grand trees within 40 feet of disturbance during construction and, if the tree dies within three years of permit issuance, mitigation by planting canopy trees (minimum 2.5-inch caliper) and/or depositing funds into the Charleston County Tree Fund per Section 9.2.0.6 of the ZLDR.
A board member praised the applicant for seeking a variance rather than removing the tree and moved to approve the variance with the staff conditions; the motion passed with a majority vote.
Why it matters: the approval allows the homeowner to proceed with an addition while requiring professional monitoring and mitigation to protect an unusually large and valued live oak.
Staff will require the arborist monitoring plan and mitigation arrangements before final permit approval; the board’s findings and the arborist plan will be part of the public file.
