By Greg Ellison

(June 17, 2021) Even though it won’t pay for a feasibility study for a proposed community center on Flower Street, Berlin Town Council on Monday voted to establish a committee of residents to examine the situation.

Councilman Jack Orris moved to form a Community Center Development Committee, saying, “We all know we would like a center and there are multiple thoughts on what should be included in that facility.”

Councilman Dean Burrell said the committee could provide perspective from different segments of the town on how to go about replacing the multi-purpose building, which served as a center for a time until it fell into disrepair.

“We could get input from the various neighborhoods,” he said.

Burrell also clarified his vote that evening to override Mayor Zack Tyndall’s veto of a FY22 budget that removed funds for a center feasibility study.

“My vote was in no way intended to be in opposition of a community center,” he said.

Burrell said the previous town administration had proposed building a new center to replace the aging Flower Street multi-purpose building.

“The town had been putting money in renovating the old multi-purpose building on Flower Street,” he said.

In fact, Burrell said the Flower Street site holds special significance for many residents, including his own cherished memories.

“For me that building has a lot of sentimental value,” he said. “That is the first place I danced with my wife.”

Burrell backed the concept of forming a committee to discuss and develop ideas for a new facility.

“We have talked about it and passed around ideas, but never got community input,” he said.

Burrell also noted the location is within close proximity to Section 8 housing, which could prove advantageous financially.

“That would put us in line to apply for grants, the first being for planning and developing that site,” he said. “Grant money is out there for this endeavor but we have to do some ground work.”

But before the town begins looking for potential grants, it needs to assess community wants and needs, Burrell said.

“Take everything Dean just said and put my name on it,” said Councilman Jay Knerr.

Tyndall asked Orris to explain the proposed committees’ function in greater detail.

“The goal would be for interested and concerned residents throughout town to come together and discuss ideas,” he said. “The scope is to investigate what we want as a community and how to get there.”

Orris said the discussions about a new community center have seen the number of amenities included expand from the initial concept.

“From my understanding, the community center started as a meeting room and some breakout rooms,” he said. “Now on the table are basketball courts, a swimming pool, more meeting rooms and a kitchen.”

While all the proposals sound acceptable, Orris said questions abound regarding costs and financing.

“We need to get community members in a room to discuss these sort of things,” he said.

Burrell said the committee’s primary goal should be to solicit input from residents of Berlin.

“The focus of any committee needs to be as narrow as possible,” he said. “Everybody agrees that the Town of Berlin needs, or should have, a community center, but we don’t know what that should look like.”

Tyndall asked if the final site should be confirmed prior to moving forward.

Burrell said while Flower Street has been proposed as the location, no consensus has been reached on where a new center would be situated.

“The committee could offer insights into locations,” he said. “Then it won’t be what Dean says, what Troy (Councilman Purnell) says or what the mayor says, it would be this endeavor has been developed by the Town of Berlin.”

Tyndall said the feasibility study funding included in his budget and then removed by the council was intended to obtain and catalog opinions.

“You want to capture what people say,” he said. “The best way to do that sometimes is to get focus groups … to get a cross section of the community.”

Burrell suggested the Berlin Parks Commission could be charged with the responsibility when the time arrives.

“I don’t believe we’re there yet,” he said. “We don’t even know what we want.”

Knerr again backed Burrell’s sentiments.

“I think we’re trying to advance this in a direction we don’t need to be in right now,” he said. “You could ask 10 different people within this town what they would like to see … and you’d get 10 different answers.”

Kneer also proposed that surveying the community could be handled in-house for minimal cost.

“I think starting off small with a committee we could move this thing forward like it hasn’t been in years,” he said.

The council voted 5-0 to develop a committee to review suggestions for a new community center.