Council approves removal of a 48-inch live oak at 332 Lake Crescent Drive

The City of DeBary City Council approved a request to remove one historic 48‑inch-diameter live oak at 332 Lake Crescent Drive so the applicant can build a new single-family residence, council members said at the May meeting.

Stephen Babb, growth management director, told the council the property contained three historic trees (one 48-inch, one 41-inch and one 38-inch DBH) and that staff and the applicant had worked for about a year to reduce tree loss through lot layout adjustments and arborist measures. "We've gone from three possible historic trees being removed to, unfortunately, one historic tree being removed," Babb said. He recommended removal of the 48‑inch tree because the root zone and canopy would conflict with the proposed building footprint and would likely accelerate decline if the tree were retained.

Babb outlined arborist mitigation measures proposed to preserve the remaining historic trees, including root protection and pruning techniques used successfully on other infill projects. If the council approved removal, staff said they would finalize a tree‑removal permit and require replacement plantings as specified in city code and the permit conditions; the applicant would proceed with removal only after building permits and other approvals are in place.

Council members described their reluctance to remove a historic oak but said they were satisfied staff and the applicant had explored alternatives and employed certified arborists. A motion to approve removal of tree number 3 (48 inches DBH) passed unanimously among members present.