Board approves variance easing trophy-tree mitigation at Midlands Motorsports site

The Lexington County Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve landscape variance O1-26 for a Midlands Motorsports property at 450 Jamille Road and 207 Rhett Road, the board announced after a brief staff presentation and roll-call vote.

Derek Duplac, Lexington County landscape administrator, told the board the 1.8-acre site contains five trophy trees and that the county's Landscape and Open Space Ordinance (section 3.10.3.e) would ordinarily require mitigation equal to 109 three-inch caliper trees (or 82 four-inch trees). Duplac said the Carolina Crossroads project and SCDOT right-of-way acquisition removed about 57 linear feet of frontage, reduced usable area and left the parcel constrained by overhead electrical infrastructure and drainage requirements. "There are five trophy trees located on the site," Duplac said during his presentation, and staff showed photos and a conceptual landscape plan illustrating limited planting room and the proposed reconfiguration.

A committee member moved to approve the variance as presented and the motion was seconded. The clerk conducted a roll call; eight members recorded votes in favor and the motion passed. The board's approval relieves the property owner of the code's full mitigation planting requirement while preserving one existing trophy tree on site, according to staff materials. The applicant and staff said required buffers and setbacks will remain and that the project will continue to meet other ordinance requirements.

Background materials presented to the board described mitigation spacing and species rules in the ordinance and noted that trees deemed hazardous, invasive or unsuitable may be removed without penalty. Staff emphasized that the site's small size and utility lines limited where replacement plantings could be located. The board approved the variance during the same meeting at which staff displayed the site photos and conceptual planting plan.