Planning Board encourages commercial use for Lynwood Park

By Logan C. Ritchie

One year ago, the Brookhaven Planning Commission approved a special area plan to encourage commercial development at Windsor Parkway and Osborne Road in Lynwood Park. Now that plan is one step closer to reality.

The vision is a chef-driven restaurant and a “complementary” retail business with a patio and parking lot.

John Mansour of Stature Properties presented the plan at the Feb. 1 Planning Commission meeting. Mansour owns four parcels off the roundabout – three zoned C-1 (commercial), and one he’s petitioning to rezone from R-75 (residential) to N-S (neighborhood

The properties are located at 348 Windsor Parkway, 3147 and 3153 Osborne Road and 1153 Victoria Street. The development would sit across from Avellino’s restaurant.

The Planning Commission deferred the application in December to give Mansour 60 days to meet with neighbors, something Commissioner Michael Diaz

“What happened? Why am I hearing and reading that it was only last week that you actually approached the neighborhood? Not only that, you had already submitted a plan without even any consideration for what the intent was,” said Diaz, a 20-year resident of

Lynwood Park.

Mansour said he emailed members of the community and made himself available.

“What I heard was, ‘Access to Victoria Street is an issue for us.’ What I heard was, ‘We want commercial development.’ What I need is parking to allow commercial development. And so at the end of the day, I did my best,” Mansour said.

Residents who spoke both in favor and against the plan agreed – they want development on the empty lots. But they want it without access, parking, and traffic on Victoria Street.

“This is a reckless approach to what will be permanent development,” said Christee Laster, Victoria Street resident. “[The developer] is not invested in the neighbors, and certainly not in the legacy of Lynwood.”

The first motion to deny the recommendation of the plan failed due to a split vote. The Planning Commission then voted unanimously to recommend the plan to City Council with conditions to limit parking at 1153 Victoria Street.

Lynwood Park received the city’s first historic designation in 2020. Projects in the neighborhood include historic markers, an artistic crosswalk at the roundabout, sculpture, and historic designation street-sign toppers.