Brookhaven is paying $750,000 for 1020 Mendell Circle, a 1.3-acre lot with 30 to 40 specimen trees next to Lynwood Park, to keep it from being developed.

Brookhaven is buying a wooded lot next to Lynwood Park so it can never be built on. The City Council voted Tuesday to purchase 1020 Mendell Circle, about 1.3 acres, for $750,000.

The money comes from the city’s Stormwater Fund and Tree Fund. The council also amended the 2026 General Fund and Stormwater Fund budgets to pay for it. Both votes are in the city’s wrap-up of the Oct. 13 meeting.

The lot will become part of the park, the city said in its announcement of the purchase. The city gave three reasons: to keep greenspace, to protect the tree canopy and to help with stormwater.

The second lot in two years

The city bought 926 Devine Circle, about half an acre, in late 2024. Together the two lots add about 1.8 acres to Lynwood Park, the city said. That is roughly 17% of the park’s 10.8-acre footprint.

District 1 council member Michael Diaz pointed to trees lost nearby. “Having witnessed the recent loss of mature trees at the nearby Devine Circle due to development, I know how deeply our community values its tree canopy,” he said. He said the purchases will preserve “dozens of mature trees.”

What is growing on the lot

The property holds 30 to 40 specimen trees, according to the city. The species it listed are:

  • American beech
  • tulip poplar
  • red maple
  • northern red oak, southern red oak and white oak
  • hickory
  • linden, or basswood
  • bigleaf magnolia
  • black cherry
  • loblolly pine

The lot also has smaller trees and shrubs in its understory and midstory, the city said.

“Preserving a stand of mature trees protects benefits that cannot be quickly replaced by new plantings, including shade, habitat and natural stormwater functions,” City Arborist Jeff Dadisman said.

Historic Lynwood Park

Lynwood Park is one of the oldest historically Black communities in DeKalb County, the city said. It was settled in the early 1930s. The Lynwood Park Recreation Center, at 3360 Osborne Road, and the park around it remain gathering places for residents and for families with roots in the neighborhood.

“By bringing this property into public ownership, we can conserve a natural asset for residents today and for future generations,” Mayor John Park said.

What it means for you

  • The land will not be redeveloped. The city said the purchase protects it from future redevelopment.
  • The city did not say when the lot will open to the public or whether it will get paths. The announcement describes it as preserved natural area next to the park.
  • Lynwood Park is busy this fall. The city’s Paint the Park event, postponed because of bad weather, moves there from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, the city said in its rescheduling notice. Free pickleball drop-ins run at the park on Monday and Wednesday evenings; times are in our free things to do guide.
  • For more parks and paths around the city, see our walking and biking trails guide.