Board defers specimen-tree removal request at Mayfair Drive to allow arborist review

Brookhaven’s Board of Appeals on Wednesday granted a 60-day deferral for VAR25-00028, a request to remove a specimen pine at 1307 Mayfair Drive, after the applicant said staff and the city arborist might be able to identify ways to avoid cutting the tree.

Builder Houston Feaster, who bought the property last fall, told the board the lot includes a 38-inch pine and an adjacent 52-inch magnolia whose critical root zones overlap much of the front yard, making siting a new house challenging without affecting trees. Feaster said he was under contract with a buyer contingent on resolving the tree issue and that a recent proposal to meet with the city arborist could produce an alternative that avoids a variance.

Staff recommended deferral to allow consultation with the city arborist; the board moved and seconded a 60-day deferral to the Nov. 19 meeting, which passed unanimously. The builder said he was willing to defer while working with staff to test alternatives that might preserve the specimen tree or otherwise make the lot buildable without removing the specimen.

Next steps: The applicant will meet with the city arborist and staff; the case will return on Nov. 19 with an update on whether an arborist-approved alternative is feasible.