A moratorium on site plan approvals, annexations, and rezoning requests in Berlin has been extended again as the town continues its search for a planning director.
Berlin Town Hall is pictured.
File photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Berlin’s moratorium for site plan approval, annexation, and rezoning has been extended once again as the town continues its search for a planning director.
A moratorium, or temporary pause, went into effect on July 8 to halt certain actions of the town’s planning commission amid the absence of a full-time director. Site plan approval, annexation, and rezoning will not proceed until the suspension is lifted.
The planning commission’s leader, Dave Engelhart, unexpectedly passed away in April. Since then, Rick Baldwin has provided consulting services to the group. A moratorium was proposed earlier in the summer to lessen the burden placed on Baldwin and staff per the director vacancy and unanimously passed by the Berlin Town Council on Monday, July 8.
“The purpose is because we are down a planning director,” Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said at the initial meeting. “This is intended to be temporary … This is to give staff a bit of relief from having to approve very complex matters … [consultant] Rick’s assistance has been invaluable, but he is not the planning director. He cannot sign off on things. He gives me solid advice, but he is not the authority.”
The original suspension was set to expire on Sept. 15. It has since been drawn out twice now.
The governing body elected to extend the ban through mid-October on Monday, August 12. Now, per a motion made by councilmember at large Jay Knerr, seconded by vice president Dean Burrell, and passed unanimously by the municipality’s leaders at its Monday, Sept. 9 meeting, the moratorium is valid until November 15.
The pause will be reviewed at each month’s first meeting of the Berlin Mayor and Council. While the hiatus is set to run through mid-November, it may be lifted at any point if deemed acceptable by the governing body. However, the hiring of a planning director would have to be imminent.
“To reiterate, we are here because we still do not have a planning director,” District 1 Councilmember Steve Green said. “This is the main reason we have a moratorium and are asking for this extension.”
Planning Director Dave Engelhart died after a long illness in April after 11 years in the position. The town has been actively interviewing candidates for the position but officials have not provided any public updates on the process.
“We are working extremely hard to get a planning director in place,” Knerr added.
While the planning commission cannot sign off on site plans, annexation, or rezoning requests under the ban, they can still meet publicly to discuss conceptual issues. For instance, the group gathered on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to assemble again on Wednesday, Oct. 9.