(March 17, 2016) Two rezoning requests passed through public hearings, and were in turn passed by the town council, with few objections during a public meeting in Berlin Monday evening.
The first, Resolution 2016-03, rezoned 109 Decatur Street from B-2 shopping to R-1 residential district, allowing for a new police station there. A public hearing on the matter was opened and closed without comment.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said construction of the new station would begin by late summer or early fall.
Resolution 2016-04 allowed for the rezoning of four parcels, 13,15,19 and 21 Gay Street, from R-2 residential to B-1 town center.
Patrick Vorsteg, who purchased the empty lot on 15 Gay Street, said his intention was to build a two-story building similar to others in downtown Berlin, with storefronts on the ground floor and apartments overhead. Three other homeowners on the street asked to be included in the rezoning, which included admission into the town’s historic district.
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said each case would help continue the trend of the steady population increase in Berlin, town water, sewer and electric already served both, and both were compatible with existing and proposed developments in the respective areas.
The town purchased the police department parcel with that use in mind, and other planned developments there, including a new Dollar General store, would improve safety and traffic flow in the area, Engelhart said.
Both zoning changes also received recommendations from the town’s planning commission, and Engelhart said neither would require additional infrastructure.
Mitchell David, a resident of the town, expressed concerns about parking on Gay Street, but Engelhart said off-street parking shown in preliminary site plans would keep cars from parking on the street.
David also invoked a recent dispute at Cannery Village, were residents near the Flower Street housing complex were still negotiating with a developer to have a fence installed around the 44 homes there.
“People aren’t getting involved early enough,” he said. “For those people who live on Jefferson, is there going to be any type of buffer for them?”
Engelhart clarified that only one of the properties on Gay Street would change at all – at least for now. He added that the inclusion in the historic district would only affect new developments.
“They can continue their use as their private home … as long as they want,” he said. “Should they decide to turn their home into a retail space with an apartment above, it can’t ever go back without going through the board of zoning appeals for that change. Once you make it conform to the district, they can’t go back to the old nonconformancy.”
Mayor Gee Williams said he thought the rezoning would become a trend in the outlying parts of downtown Berlin.
“Nobody is forced to do it, but ultimately, it makes the potential value of the residential properties much greater,” Williams said.
Addressing the situation at Cannery Village, Williams said “good negotiations” were taking place between the developer and Flower Street residents.
The council voted unanimously to approve both requests.
Councilmember Tom Gulyas said he was particularly pleased with the change on Gay Street.
“I just think it’s a great benefit to this town,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a heck of an improvement to that street.”
The first, Resolution 2016-03, rezoned 109 Decatur Street from B-2 shopping to R-1 residential district, allowing for a new police station there. A public hearing on the matter was opened and closed without comment.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said construction of the new station would begin by late summer or early fall.
Resolution 2016-04 allowed for the rezoning of four parcels, 13,15,19 and 21 Gay Street, from R-2 residential to B-1 town center.
Patrick Vorsteg, who purchased the empty lot on 15 Gay Street, said his intention was to build a two-story building similar to others in downtown Berlin, with storefronts on the ground floor and apartments overhead. Three other homeowners on the street asked to be included in the rezoning, which included admission into the town’s historic district.
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said each case would help continue the trend of the steady population increase in Berlin, town water, sewer and electric already served both, and both were compatible with existing and proposed developments in the respective areas.
The town purchased the police department parcel with that use in mind, and other planned developments there, including a new Dollar General store, would improve safety and traffic flow in the area, Engelhart said.
Both zoning changes also received recommendations from the town’s planning commission, and Engelhart said neither would require additional infrastructure.
Mitchell David, a resident of the town, expressed concerns about parking on Gay Street, but Engelhart said off-street parking shown in preliminary site plans would keep cars from parking on the street.
David also invoked a recent dispute at Cannery Village, were residents near the Flower Street housing complex were still negotiating with a developer to have a fence installed around the 44 homes there.
“People aren’t getting involved early enough,” he said. “For those people who live on Jefferson, is there going to be any type of buffer for them?”
Engelhart clarified that only one of the properties on Gay Street would change at all – at least for now. He added that the inclusion in the historic district would only affect new developments.
“They can continue their use as their private home … as long as they want,” he said. “Should they decide to turn their home into a retail space with an apartment above, it can’t ever go back without going through the board of zoning appeals for that change. Once you make it conform to the district, they can’t go back to the old nonconformancy.”
Mayor Gee Williams said he thought the rezoning would become a trend in the outlying parts of downtown Berlin.
“Nobody is forced to do it, but ultimately, it makes the potential value of the residential properties much greater,” Williams said.
Addressing the situation at Cannery Village, Williams said “good negotiations” were taking place between the developer and Flower Street residents.
The council voted unanimously to approve both requests.
Councilmember Tom Gulyas said he was particularly pleased with the change on Gay Street.
“I just think it’s a great benefit to this town,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a heck of an improvement to that street.”