Board approves removal of three live oaks for North Shore Toyota expansion with mitigation

The Saint Tammany Parish Board of Adjustment on Dec. 2 approved a variance allowing the removal of three live oak trees at 68500 U.S. Highway 190 Service Road to make room for a service‑expansion and vehicle storage area for North Shore Toyota.

Staff told the board the trees sit within the footprint of a proposed vehicle storage area and that, due to a 3–4 foot grade differential and the site's layout, the trees “cannot be preserved,” and recommended mitigation rather than denial. Jason Reibert, representing Gulf States Construction Services, said the project will “mitigate a little more than 50% of those live oak caliper inches on‑site and then pay the balance to the Saint Tammany Parish Tree Bank.”

Board members discussed the change in grade and the difficulty of salvaging the trees; Mister Swindell said he supported the variance because “once you start filling on top of oak tree roots, the thing's gonna die,” and urged care to ensure replacement trees survive. The board voted to approve the variance subject to the staff conditions: plant the required number of live oak trees in suitable planting soil and pay any remaining mitigation into the parish tree bank.

The approval allows the owner to proceed with the building addition and expanded vehicle storage provided the planting and tree‑bank payment are completed as required. The board recorded the motion and carried the vote; the staff will verify compliance as part of permit clearances.

What's next: The applicant must submit documentation showing the required plantings and any tree‑bank payment as specified in the staff conditions before final site approval.