By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

The Berlin Planning Commission approved revisions to the Oceans East site plan building mix and density at the body’s meeting last week.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the municipality’s planning group unanimously green-lit modifications to Seahawk Road’s Oceans East project, a luxury apartment initiative across from Stephen Decatur Middle School. Rather than offering a mix of townhouses and three-story garden walkups, the new plan strikes the townhomes and focuses solely on the apartment-style accommodations.

Oceans East is a collection of apartment buildings in Berlin. While several structures are currently occupied, the project is multi-phased and is expected to house roughly 700 units once completed.

Project engineer Brock Parker said that the initiative’s developer, Rinnier Development Company of Salisbury, originally intended to add a segment of 22 townhouses and one 36-unit building as part of phase two of the project. This was changed in 2022 to two, 24-unit apartment buildings and 18 townhouses, with the apartments oriented toward the community’s lake. The plan has been adjusted once again to strike the townhomes, as Parker said that some unforeseen issues were discovered as the details were ironed out.

“Once [the developers] got to that point, they realized the economy did not work, and that unit mix of that townhouse just wasn’t right for this economy,” he said.

The new plan eliminates the proposed townhouses and is amended to construct three standard three-story garden walkups, including two 24-unit buildings and one 36-unit building. While there is a density cap, Parker said that it is “significantly greater than what this phase proposes.” The lodging will mix one, two, and three bedrooms.

Parker said the elevations and architecture of the upcoming structures will be “basically identical” to those currently placed and occupied on the project site.

Parker added that the townhouses were eliminated because of the economy’s “uneasy footing.” The apartments’ rents can be kept down more than what the townhouses would charge, and thus, the developers felt that they could fill the units up faster.

Parker noted that the initiative’s future is unclear. While preliminary drafts exist, the engineer said there are no concrete plans for phase three of the Oceans East project.

“There are no plans for phase three right now,” Parker said. “All they are cartoon drawings to see what and where and make sure it all fits. When we come in for phase three, I’ll be given a very strenuous set of advice to kind of come in with a master plan so you can see how this thing is going to finish up.”

The planning commission unanimously approved the revisions at its Wednesday, Nov. 13 meeting.