Board approves removal of large live oak at East Park Ave with arborist conditions tied to CO

The Planning & Zoning Board approved the removal of a significant live oak limb and associated tree-protection conditions at East Park Avenue after an extended hearing featuring technical testimony from the applicant’s arborist.

Staff introduced the application and said it would allow the removal of a 45-inch DBH live oak limb to permit a house location adjustment. The applicant’s arborist, Austin Spivey, testified that ANSI A300 pruning standards require a singular cut at a specific node and that cutting at an internode would invite decay. Spivey recommended precise root pruning, a 6-inch irrigated mulch application, and a one-time deep-root injection of nutrients; he estimated canopy reduction of about 15% on the west side but said the tree’s structural integrity would not be compromised.

Neighbors and several board members pressed for enforcement measures, including requiring invoices or photos, tying required soil and treatment work to the certificate of occupancy and ensuring a licensed arborist conducts the work rather than the prior contractor. One board member cited historical problems on nearby lots where improper trimming had severed canopy. Staff said it could place a hold on certificates of occupancy and inspect or require proof of landscape/arborist work.

The board approved PCV-2026-0010 with conditions written into the order and the landscape plan: that all arborist recommendations be included in the plan, that proof (photos and invoices or similar documentation) of the treatments be provided to staff before issuance of a certificate of occupancy, that no fill be placed within the tree protection zone, and that a licensed arborist perform the required pruning and root treatment. The motion was accompanied by the revised arborist report dated 04/13/2026.