By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Last week, the Berlin Town Council approved a motion to share the cost of a traffic study on Old Ocean City Boulevard with Coastal Ventures Properties (CVP) for $14,250 as it pertains to the site’s upcoming development.

Per the approval, the town will contribute half of the cost of a traffic impact study regarding future road construction at Heron Park. The agenda item passed in a 4-1 vote at the town’s May 27 Mayor and Council meeting. Councilman Jack Orris made the motion, which was seconded by Councilman Jay Knerr. Council members Shaneka Nichols and Steve Green also voted favorably, with Council Vice President Dean Burrell opposed. Burrell has opposed the redevelopment of Heron Park and specifically the sale to CVP.

The decision follows the municipality’s contract with Palmer and Sandy Gillis of Coastal Ventures Properties, which was officially signed in April. The agreement cemented the pair’s purchase of parcel 57, a portion of property at Heron Park consisting of around 9.35 acres of land area for $1,200,000. The arrangement included the note that the Town of Berlin would split the cost of the traffic study necessary for future development.

The town’s portion of the study will primarily concern the development of the upcoming skate park and the new public works facility at Heron Park. The other portion consists of redeveloping parcel 57, which was officially contracted for sale to Coastal Ventures Properties earlier this spring. Settlement has not occurred with one of the pending items to tackle being the traffic impact study, which must take place during school days.

A letter to Palmer Gillis from The Traffic Group, the company who will conduct the study, maintained that “as part of the development, the existing access to the town’s 40-acre public park will be redeveloped with multiple driveways to serve the park, proposed development, and will also provide access to the Cropper Auto Repair Facility.”

The correspondence continued, reading that “for the purpose of the [traffic impact study],” they recommend including the intersections N. Main Street, at Graham Avenue, at the Heron Park access road and Route 113.

The study’s scope will include coordinating with representatives from the Town of Berlin and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration and collecting intersection turning movement counts from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. “on a typical weekday while public school is in session” at the intersection locations.

The project will also involve a site visit by The Traffic Group to review the road network and obtain ground-level photographs, secure details on the proposed development, including the skate park and new public works building, and prepare a traffic signal warrant analysis for the intersection at Old Ocean City Boulevard at Main Street, among other items.