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BZA approves removal of 35‑inch red oak to allow construction on constrained lot
Summary
After extended questioning about alternative site layouts and arborist testimony that heavy grading and driveway work would likely kill the tree, the BZA approved a request to remove a 35‑inch red oak at 925 Hughes Road, subject to mitigation (inch‑for‑inch tree replacement) and tree‑protection conditions during construction.
The Charleston County BZA on June 30 approved a variance to remove a 35‑inch southern red oak to make room for a proposed single‑floor home on a 5.6‑acre parcel at 925 Hughes Road.
Staff said the lot is bisected by a county drainage easement and a Dominion Energy easement, and the combined constraints reduce the available buildable envelope. The applicant’s representative, Alexander Franklin, said the design aimed to retain as many trees as possible and proposed planting multiple large canopy trees as mitigation: "We are proposing that we would replace inch for inch…and plan on putting many, large oak trees…to try and make up for this tree," he said.
County arborist testimony emphasized that the proposed driveway alignment and substantial grade changes around the tree would likely be fatal even if the canopy were preserved: "Tree wells don't work in Southeast…they get clogged full of sediment," the arborist said, adding that substantial redesign of the driveway and site grading would be required to save the oak. Several board members pressed the applicant to show alternate plans that might preserve the tree; the applicant provided a revised stair/drive layout during the hearing but the arborist said the necessary changes would be substantial.
After extended deliberation weighing lot configuration, drainage easement constraints and the arborist’s assessment, the board voted to approve the removal with conditions including mitigation plantings, pre‑construction tree barricades and a certified arborist retained to monitor nearby protected trees during construction. The board directed staff to include the mitigation and monitoring requirements in the permit decision.
