DeKalb group tries to stop development of forest

Residents in nine northeast DeKalb County neighborhoods have formed a group to preserve 21 acres of wooded property.

The Briarlake Community Forest Alliance is opposing the rezoning of the property, where 43 homes could be built.

The forest contains about 60 trees with trunks larger than 30 inches, and developing the property could damage streams that feed into two lakes, according to the group.

The rezoning is scheduled to be considered by the DeKalb Planning Commission on Thursday and the DeKalb Board of Commissioners on Nov. 18.