Board permits removal of landmark live oak at 1201 Third Avenue; mitigation reduced for county

The Conway Tree Board approved removal of a declining 24‑inch landmark live oak at 1201 Third Avenue, a tree on property managed by Horry County Maintenance, and set mitigation at half the usual ordinance requirement.

Kenny, city staff, said a removal request was received April 8 for a landmark live oak measured at 24 inches DBH and noted the tree “does appear to have some decline.” The tree is part of the county’s Patriot Tree Project and had been dedicated in 2014. County representative Betty Norris asked the board for permission to remove the tree; staff and the county said they had tried trimming and other measures to sustain it.

Board members discussed precedent and fairness, weighing whether county‑owned properties should receive the same mitigation reductions sometimes granted to private homeowners in small‑lot situations. Staff clarified planting and mitigation options: a 24‑inch tree normally equates to a specific number of replacement inches under the ordinance; staff said the ordinance allows offering 2‑inch caliper trees as long as the total inches replanted equal the inches removed.

A motion carried to approve the removal and to require mitigation at half the ordinance standard for this county property—interpreted by the board as three 4‑inch replacement trees for the county site. The board record shows disagreement among members about reducing mitigation for county property, but the motion passed by voice vote.

Staff noted that if a tree becomes an immediate public hazard, staff can require removal on a shorter timeline and may waive mitigation in true public‑safety emergencies. For this removal, the board gave the county permission to remove the tree and directed mitigation consistent with the vote.