Some critics, wherever they are, might say that the Town of Berlin is doing too much too quickly, what with it poised to approve a significant increase in housing on the edge of town and the conversion of the former Tyson Foods property into a major recreation facility.
Add to that its consideration of a solar power project and an apparent deal to place a Dollar General project on a parcel to be shared eventually with a new police station and a community center.
Supporters, however, would contend that the town is building on the momentum set in motion several years back by activist business people and a core of local officials who recognize that the pursuit of economic growth can only occur when circumstances permit it.
It’s all about the town’s increasing desirability as a place to live, a phenomenon that most Eastern Shore towns – barring those near the bay bridge that have become spiritless commuter colonies – have not experienced in years.
Understanding that there is no such thing as a thriving community that never changes, the town, its businesses and a majority of its residents know that only growth and constant improvement can prevent the kind of economic inertia from which Berlin suffered many years ago.
So yes, the town does have quite a bit on its developmental agenda, but for the most part these seemingly unrelated pieces fit into the greater plan to increase Berlin’s attractiveness for residents, visitors and businesses without abandoning its basic principles.
That has been and will continue to be a difficult undertaking, but given the remarkable progress that has transformed the community into the vigorous enterprise it is today, there’s no reason to believe it can’t be done.
The choice, after all, is between the continuing pursuit of new opportunities or, as is the case in so many other Shore towns, coping with economic stagnation.