(Feb. 18, 2016) The Berlin Planning Commission discussed the following items during a meeting at town hall on Feb. 10.
Zoning change
Paving the way for a new police station at 109 Decatur Street, the commission voted 5-1 to approve a zoning change from B-2 shopping district to R-1 residential. Ron Casio cast the lone dissenting vote.
“I think it’s a commercial piece of property that should be used for commerce rather than a police station,” he said.
The rezoning will now move to the Berlin Town Council, which will vote on the matter and after a public hearing.
Up next
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said he had a meeting scheduled with a contract purchaser of the former Merial Select property near the intersection of Route 50 and North Main Street. Currently zoned light industrial, he said the buyer’s intention was to subdivide the land into several commercial sections.
“The primary use would be for a church, on the largest part of the property,” he said, adding that a church would require residential zoning.
Engelhart said the buyer asked for a text amendment to the town code allowing for exceptions within B-2 business district zoning. That was not a popular notion among the commissioners.
“My thought would be to make it all B-2, and then they can go to the board of zoning appeals for that single [residential] use,” Engelhart said.
The request will likely be part of the next planning commission meeting, in March.
Design guidelines
Also likely on the agenda during the March 9 meeting is naming a company to work on the architectural design guidelines. Engelhart said an outside company wished to make a presentation about its services. The town and the commission have been working toward developing such a document for more than a year.
Engelhart said he and other members of town staff reviewed proposals from five different companies. Their first choice backed out when the town tabled a larger, long-term planning project that would have included the architectural design guidelines. Engelhart said the second-choice company would be meeting with the commission.
“I was happy with what they had, and what they can do for us, I think, would be good,” he said, adding that the unnamed company developed similar standards for Chestertown, Rehoboth and Bethany Beach.
Zoning change
Paving the way for a new police station at 109 Decatur Street, the commission voted 5-1 to approve a zoning change from B-2 shopping district to R-1 residential. Ron Casio cast the lone dissenting vote.
“I think it’s a commercial piece of property that should be used for commerce rather than a police station,” he said.
The rezoning will now move to the Berlin Town Council, which will vote on the matter and after a public hearing.
Up next
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said he had a meeting scheduled with a contract purchaser of the former Merial Select property near the intersection of Route 50 and North Main Street. Currently zoned light industrial, he said the buyer’s intention was to subdivide the land into several commercial sections.
“The primary use would be for a church, on the largest part of the property,” he said, adding that a church would require residential zoning.
Engelhart said the buyer asked for a text amendment to the town code allowing for exceptions within B-2 business district zoning. That was not a popular notion among the commissioners.
“My thought would be to make it all B-2, and then they can go to the board of zoning appeals for that single [residential] use,” Engelhart said.
The request will likely be part of the next planning commission meeting, in March.
Design guidelines
Also likely on the agenda during the March 9 meeting is naming a company to work on the architectural design guidelines. Engelhart said an outside company wished to make a presentation about its services. The town and the commission have been working toward developing such a document for more than a year.
Engelhart said he and other members of town staff reviewed proposals from five different companies. Their first choice backed out when the town tabled a larger, long-term planning project that would have included the architectural design guidelines. Engelhart said the second-choice company would be meeting with the commission.
“I was happy with what they had, and what they can do for us, I think, would be good,” he said, adding that the unnamed company developed similar standards for Chestertown, Rehoboth and Bethany Beach.