Tree to be removed at demolition site

In a special meeting, a Seneca regulatory board voted to remove one of three trees on the property where the owner will demolish one of the city’s oldest dwellings. The Board of Architectural Review accepted a report of tree specialist Karl Pokorny. After an inspection, Pokorny recommended the removal of a 24’ by 50’ water oak tree at the northwest corner at 109 S. Oak Street. He believes two other trees on the property are healthy enough to remain. In a related action, the board agreed to place an interpretative sign on the property to depict that 109 S. Oak was the spot of one of Seneca’s earliest homes—dating back to at least 1880. Last month the current property owner, Seneca Presbyterian Church, was granted a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the house.