Karbyte Enterprisees has proposed a mix of town houses and duplexes at the intersection of Rt. 113 and Germantown Road in Berlin.

Planning commission considering townhouses, duplexes and amenities  

By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(Dec. 21, 2023) Karbyte Enterprises LLC went before the Berlin Planning Commission again last Tuesday to discuss its proposed plan for a housing development at the intersection of Route 113 and Germantown Road in Berlin.

Two plans were presented, one with 15 townhouses and 35 duplexes and the other with 64 townhouses. This is a big change from the previous plan presented in June by Karbyte, which was a mix of retail, townhomes, condos and villas.

The commission reacted favorably to the mix of townhouses and duplexes. Based on the previous input from the commission, the developer included amenities, such as a pool, a sport court, a playground area and a mulched walking path around the development.

 The smallest unit proposed is 2,100 square feet and the largest is 3,200.  The units are projected to sell between $300,000 and $400,000.

There are several steps Karbyte needs to take before this project can move forward.

The lot has split zoning for residential and B1 business, so rezoning is required to develop the site for homes, according to Dave Engelhart, the planning director for the Town of Berlin.

Karbyte will have to ask the Planning Commission to rezone the lot to all residential.  A public hearing is required and if the commission agrees to rezone the property, it will then go to the mayor and Town Council to approve or deny.

The site plan will also need to be approved by the commission.

There is an extensive forest conservation easement on the property as well, according to the attorney for the applicant, Mark Cropper of the law firm Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy and Almand in Ocean City.

“It’s a complicated piece of property,” Engelhart said.