(May 19, 2016) Berlin offered a brief glimpse into its plans for the former Tyson’s Chicken plant on Old Ocean City Boulevard on Monday, as the mayor, several councilmembers and town staff gathered for a sort of informal ribbon cutting.
“We are so fortunate to get to this point,” Mayor Gee Williams said, calling the gathering a “preview of the potential and possibilities of the 62-acre tract.”
“Now, under town ownership, we are informally calling it ‘Berlin Falls Park.’ If somebody wants to give us several million dollars, we will reconsider changing the name,” Williams said, drawing a laugh from the audience.
Since the town bought the property in February, the public works department has taken the lead in the effort to transform the former industrial site into a public park, Williams said.
“Calling the work a cleanup is a really an understatement,” he said. “In addition to many years of accumulated debris, they have gotten rid of or safely secured obstacles that could have posed threats or injury to park visitors. Berlin Public Works also has made the entire property safe for public use by securing all the buildings [and] adding bright yellow paint to all the safety features, such as railings and balusters.”
Department workers also expanded the parking area, posted signs, removed several truckloads of overgrowth and mowed the grass “for days and days and days,” Williams said.
The mayor credited Town Administrator Laura Allen with coordinating the effort, as well as Public Works Director Jane Kreiter, Managing Director Jeff Fleetwood, Public Works Supervisor Wendell Purnell and Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen.
He also highlighted Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Dave Wheaton, whom Williams nicknamed “get ‘er done Dave.”
“Everyone has done such an impressive job – everyone – under such tight time constraints and with less-than-cooperative weather this spring,” Williams said. “It was a tight deadline and the weather made it downright silly, but you did it.
“Please do not let anyone diminish in any way all that you have done,” he continued. “Because of the potential Berlin Falls park has for all citizens and guests for generations, please know that this is just the beginning of the beginning. With the encouragement, support and collaboration of the citizens of Berlin, this project has the potential of being of shining example of how a community, working together, can turn adversity into advantage, not just for a few years, but for generations to come.”
Williams said ideas for the future use of the property number in the dozens, and promised that Berlin citizens would have plenty of input in the development, which would take place “over a number of years.”
“You might think of this project as a living and growing three-dimensional puzzle that will perpetually change and evolve to meet the needs of our community during each passing decade,” he said. “Based on talking to many Berlin citizens and folks throughout the region, I sense that one thing we all share is that this new community asset is an investment of time, money and creativity that will inspire pride and immeasurably add to the quality of life – for Berlin and beyond – for generations to follow.”
Also in attendance were Berlin Councilmembers Lisa Hall, who was an early champion of the project, and Troy Purnell, the former owner of the property.
“He didn’t have a damn thing to do with any of this,” Williams joked. “We couldn’t even ask him where the pipes were.”
“I just think it’s fantastic,” Purnell said. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”
“We are so fortunate to get to this point,” Mayor Gee Williams said, calling the gathering a “preview of the potential and possibilities of the 62-acre tract.”
“Now, under town ownership, we are informally calling it ‘Berlin Falls Park.’ If somebody wants to give us several million dollars, we will reconsider changing the name,” Williams said, drawing a laugh from the audience.
Since the town bought the property in February, the public works department has taken the lead in the effort to transform the former industrial site into a public park, Williams said.
“Calling the work a cleanup is a really an understatement,” he said. “In addition to many years of accumulated debris, they have gotten rid of or safely secured obstacles that could have posed threats or injury to park visitors. Berlin Public Works also has made the entire property safe for public use by securing all the buildings [and] adding bright yellow paint to all the safety features, such as railings and balusters.”
Department workers also expanded the parking area, posted signs, removed several truckloads of overgrowth and mowed the grass “for days and days and days,” Williams said.
The mayor credited Town Administrator Laura Allen with coordinating the effort, as well as Public Works Director Jane Kreiter, Managing Director Jeff Fleetwood, Public Works Supervisor Wendell Purnell and Administrative Services Director Mary Bohlen.
He also highlighted Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Dave Wheaton, whom Williams nicknamed “get ‘er done Dave.”
“Everyone has done such an impressive job – everyone – under such tight time constraints and with less-than-cooperative weather this spring,” Williams said. “It was a tight deadline and the weather made it downright silly, but you did it.
“Please do not let anyone diminish in any way all that you have done,” he continued. “Because of the potential Berlin Falls park has for all citizens and guests for generations, please know that this is just the beginning of the beginning. With the encouragement, support and collaboration of the citizens of Berlin, this project has the potential of being of shining example of how a community, working together, can turn adversity into advantage, not just for a few years, but for generations to come.”
Williams said ideas for the future use of the property number in the dozens, and promised that Berlin citizens would have plenty of input in the development, which would take place “over a number of years.”
“You might think of this project as a living and growing three-dimensional puzzle that will perpetually change and evolve to meet the needs of our community during each passing decade,” he said. “Based on talking to many Berlin citizens and folks throughout the region, I sense that one thing we all share is that this new community asset is an investment of time, money and creativity that will inspire pride and immeasurably add to the quality of life – for Berlin and beyond – for generations to follow.”
Also in attendance were Berlin Councilmembers Lisa Hall, who was an early champion of the project, and Troy Purnell, the former owner of the property.
“He didn’t have a damn thing to do with any of this,” Williams joked. “We couldn’t even ask him where the pipes were.”
“I just think it’s fantastic,” Purnell said. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”