By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(March 12, 2026) Frustration over the pace of approvals for the redevelopment of Heron Park’s former Tyson Foods property was evident at Monday night’s Berlin Town Council meeting, as developers urged officials to finalize a property plat so the project can proceed to settlement.

Palmer Gillis of Coastal Ventures Properties (CVP) addressed the council during public comments at this week’s meeting, arguing that his team cannot complete the purchase of parcel 57 at Heron Park without an agreed-upon plat delineating the property boundaries.

“The issue is, we are under contract to purchase parcel 57 at Heron Park,” Gillis said. “We have asked to resolve a plat because we can’t go to settlement without a plat.”

According to Gillis, his company has spent months attempting to resolve the boundary issue with town staff and engineers, but has reached an impasse.

“We are at a complete loss as to why it’s not on the agenda tonight,” he said, explaining that the matter had been scheduled for a previous council meeting, which was postponed due to last month’s snowstorm. “We need to have this resolved so we can go to settlement.”

Gillis said his team had been attempting since mid-November to follow the town’s planning and zoning process but has struggled to advance through the early stages needed to close on the property.

During the exchange, Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall acknowledged the town’s responsibility to provide a final, recordable plat. He said that the town intends to do so.

“We are in agreement with that,” Tyndall said. “It is our responsibility to provide you with a final recordable plat. We understand that, and we intend to fulfill that requirement.”

Tyndall added that the town wanted the final plat to reflect drawings prepared by the town’s engineering firm, Davis, Bowen & Friedel (DBF).

“What we would like to see is DBF’s drawing be the final actionable, agreeable drawing for the Town of Berlin,” he said.

During the discussion, Gillis also expressed concerns with the town’s planning and zoning process. He said that delays have made it difficult for the project to move forward.

“I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” the developer said. “I’ve worked with every planning and zoning department in Delmarva … There is nothing that is so challenging to work with as it is in this tiny town. You don’t need to make this complex …”

Gillis said the contract to purchase the property nears the one-year mark.

Tyndall noted that time remains on the agreement, and that the town and developer share the same goal of redeveloping the long-vacant site.

“We have a shared goal to see the site revitalized,” Tyndall said. “The mayor and council support seeing the site revitalized.”

Following the discussion, Tyndall asked the council to proceed with a plat reflecting the boundary configuration proposed by the town’s engineer. The action identified the northern property line and included adjustments to accommodate a planned roadway within Heron Park.

The council unanimously agreed to proceed with recording the plat.

Developers with CVP presented early plans for the roughly 9.35-acre parcel, known as parcel 57 at Heron Park, during a January meeting of the Berlin Planning Commission. The local developers and the town entered into a contract last year for the sale of the site for $1.2 million.

The space, which includes two remaining industrial buildings from the former Tyson Foods poultry processing operation, has sat largely vacant for years.

Gillis told the commission the structures are in strong condition and could be renovated rather than demolished. Under the concept plan, the rear building would likely house medical or healthcare offices, while the front building along Old Ocean City Boulevard could include retail, restaurants, or professional office space.

Developers have also discussed the possibility of a small private daycare facility primarily intended for employees of nearby healthcare operations, as well as additional green space and pedestrian improvements across the site.

Gillis said the project would bring new jobs and expand the town’s tax base while transforming a long-blighted property.

“This town has put up with this site for a long time,” he said at the January meeting. “We want to make it a shining star for the community.”