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Tree board approves limited pruning of 36-inch live oak for Parker's Kitchen with arborist oversight
Summary
The Conway Tree Board granted the applicant's appeal to allow pruning of a landmark 36-inch live oak to accommodate relocation of a transmission pole for a Parker's Kitchen convenience store, with conditions including a certified-arborist pruning plan and direction to minimize cuts.
The Conway Tree Board approved an appeal allowing the pruning — not removal — of a landmark 36-inch live oak at 35100 West Highway 501 to accommodate relocation of a transmission pole necessary for a new Parker's Kitchen site.
Daniel Ben Israel, real estate development manager for Parker's Kitchen, told the board the pole must move to a location the utility identified as the most viable option for a new transmission pole and that the proposed relocation places the pole immediately in front of the tree. "We are willing to amend that mitigation schedule, to implement more mitigation, plant additional trees, to accommodate for the pruning that we're doing here," Ben Israel said.
Frank Williams of Horry Electric explained utility standards and installation constraints, saying the company typically works to keep lines about 15 feet from pole center lines and that crews can "do minimal amount of trimming" and coordinate guy-wire work to reduce visible impact. The city staff had originally denied the pruning permit because staff judged the amount of pruning requested would put the tree at "a tremendous risk of decline." Staff recommended, and the board required, that a certified arborist provide a written pruning plan demonstrating methods consistent with ANSI A300 standards before any pruning permit is issued.
Board members expressed concern about over-pruning and long-term health and agreed to language directing the applicant to "minimally" avoid the yellow-line pruning shown in the applicant's exhibit and to coordinate pruning oversight with staff. A motion to approve the appeal carried after the board included staff recommendations and the certified-arborist requirement.
The applicant said the Conway location will be Parker's Kitchen's first store inside the city; Ben Israel said construction was scheduled to begin Jan. 20 with an approximate 210-day schedule. The board noted it will monitor the tree and that future follow-up pruning or restoration could occur if cuts become harmful to tree health.
