Commission gives Tiki Tim’s owner 10 days to comply

By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer

(Feb. 9, 2023) The Berlin Historic District Commission left nothing unsaid on Feb. 1 when its members informed a representative for a local property owner of how it felt about unauthorized changes made in the last year to one of the town’s most recognizable buildings.

Property owner Bryan Brushmiller now has 10 days to remove changes and 60 days to submit a new plan for Tiki Tim’s, the bar behind The Globe on Broad Street. No plan will be submitted until fencing that was approved years ago is installed along the property.

Non-compliance could result in $400 daily fines for every offending day.

Mark Burrier of Burley Oak Brewing Company, which Brushmiller owns, appeared before the commission ostensibly to gain approval for the changes that his boss had already made, which included a roof to connect the main building to Tiki Tim’s and a new wall between The Globe and the Atlantic Hotel.

The roof was made of the same material as the roof of the main building and Burrier said they did not realize they needed approval if the material was the same and if it wasn’t visible from “the main road.”

“(I want to) apologize for any I guess misconstrued conception that we did anything just to do something without approval,” he told the commission. “I take full responsibility for everything that’s been done. “

“I do apologize for that … I’m here to be that olive branch to the town. I know things in the past have gone certain ways but I’m here to be that person that you guys can come to and talk about anything whenever.”

Commission members stressed multiple times that their comments were directed at Brushmiller, not Burrier. But incensed over what member Carol Rose described as a pattern of poor communication, they were in no mood to make nice before issuing their decision.

“We approved the outside of Gay Street the fencing and so forth to cover up all that trash. It wasn’t done. I don’t know how many times I emailed you to please call me to discuss it and you never, ever, ever answer my email,” Rose said.

“My comments are strictly for the owner. When you purchase a historic building, a huge responsibility goes along with that to preserve it and we felt when we worked with the owners on that outside area … we were confident, I think, that it was going to turn out to be a really pretty area.

“That whole thing and the street — it looks like a dump. That’s very disrespectful to all the businesses and buildings around there.”

Commission member Laurie Stearns said she’s heard from people who said the property looks like a shantytown.

“I don’t think it’s attractive,” she said. “And the Atlantic is historic. That’s where people park when they come in.”

Commission member Brian Robertson said the additions “fall short” of what is expected of an historic property owner.

Commission member Josh Holloway went a step further and said he felt that Brushmiller intentionally skipped the proper protocol for gaining approval.

“I don’t appreciate it,” he said. “I think we’re all easy to get along with and if it was done the right way we could have worked through all this and had something done. But I think it looks horrible from the parking lot and Atlantic Hotel. It looks horrible. It doesn’t do the building justice whatsoever.”

While he had his own words of admonishment as well, commission Chair Norman Bunting said that, ultimately, he and his colleagues wish to see the property succeed, just under the proper procedure.

“There’s got to be something else that can be done to make this (property) belong in this area,” he said. “But what we are being presented here … I just don’t know how this can stay.”

Brushmiller could not be reached for comment.