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HLRB approves removal of structurally compromised tree in Buckingham Historic District
Summary
The Arlington Historical Affairs and Review Board approved a Certificate of Approval for removal and replacement of a structurally compromised tree in the Buckingham Historic District after staff and the county urban forester recommended removal and a like-for-like oak replacement.
The Arlington Historical Affairs and Review Board voted to approve a COA permitting the removal of a large tree near 419 North Glen Road in the Buckingham Historic District and required replacement with an appropriate species.
Staff described the tree as having extensive structural issues including basal cavities, trunk decay and crown decline; the county urban forester recommended removal after a site visit and advised replacement with an oak species such as swamp white oak, Schumard oak or Kentucky coffee tree. "Based on those conditions, she recommended removal and replacement with an appropriate species," staff told the board.
Board members asked whether the Design Review Committee had reviewed the removal; staff clarified that DRC had reviewed two of three trees and that one removal proceeded directly to the HLRB because the DRC did not review it in time. Members also discussed practical limitations around transplanting very large trees and reconfirmed staff guidance to plant a tree that will become similar at maturity rather than attempting to transplant a mature specimen.
A motion to approve (recorded in the meeting as "I move that the HLRB approve COA 26-15 for a tree removal near 419 North Road") passed on a roll-call vote with all recorded members voting yes. The board recorded the replacement requirement in its approval to preserve Buckingham's historic tree canopy while addressing documented safety risks.
The staff report cited Buckingham's significance as a neighborhood developed between 1937 and 1953 and said there is no requirement tying the replacement species to a historically exact species but noted that oaks have been prominent in the district. The approved package instructs staff and the applicant to select and plant an appropriate replacement species and maintain the replacement near the original location.
The board moved on to subsequent agenda items after the vote; staff will track the replacement and confirm planting details in follow-up communications.
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