(July 30, 2015) The Berlin mayor and council discussed or took action on the following topics at their public meeting at Town Hall on Monday:
New police hub
The council voted unanimously to spend $136,800 on a contract with Crosby and Associates for the architecture, design and engineering of a new police station located on Bay Street Extended, near the Uncle Willie’s convenience store.
Berlin bought the property using its share of slot revenues from the Casino at Ocean Downs. Mayor Gee Williams said the town would use slot revenue to pay for the engineering portion of the building, as well as part of the financing of the eventual build.
Williams called the move “the beginning of really exciting things.”
“We’re not talking forever and a day,” he said. “I’m hoping we’re talking about, within the next few years, a new police station.”
Construction continues
Electric Utilities Director Tim Lawrence said the town would remove the streetlights on Main Street, between Pitts and Bay streets, on Wednesday as part of its sidewalk improvement program downtown.
The lights on Main Street would likely remain off at night for four-to-five days, according to Lawrence.
Planning schedule
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said variances for signs at the new Arby’s and Royal Farms stores would be the topic of a planning meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
“They want to go slightly larger,” Engelhart said, adding final site plan approval could come up for a vote before the planning commission during the following week. If that happens, construction could begin in September.
“That’s still moving in that direction,” he said.”
Engelhart also said he contacted members of the housing review committee, which has not met in some time.
“It’s something we need to attend to,” he said. “[Permit Coordinator] Carolyn Duffy works in my office [and] her ninth anniversary with the town is Thursday. She does not remember [the committee] meeting.
“I want to get that board up and going,” Engelhart added.
RFQ issued
The town posted a request for qualifications on its website for municipal planning consulting services.
“This grew out of our need for the commercial architectural design standards,” Engelhart said, adding, “We kind of put it on steroids.”
Engelhart said the town was looking to meet future growth and strategic plan objectives, as well as to create interconnectivity with highway corridors.
“It really has morphed into a large project and I’m excited about it,” he said. “It’s something much needed and we can bring it all together as one study and several documents.”
Cannery update
Rental offices for the new Cannery Village affordable housing complex, located on Flower Street, opened this week inside the Visitor’s Center on Main Street.
The community, still under construction, features more than 40 units and a rent-to-own program available to tenants after leasing for 15 years.
New police hub
The council voted unanimously to spend $136,800 on a contract with Crosby and Associates for the architecture, design and engineering of a new police station located on Bay Street Extended, near the Uncle Willie’s convenience store.
Berlin bought the property using its share of slot revenues from the Casino at Ocean Downs. Mayor Gee Williams said the town would use slot revenue to pay for the engineering portion of the building, as well as part of the financing of the eventual build.
Williams called the move “the beginning of really exciting things.”
“We’re not talking forever and a day,” he said. “I’m hoping we’re talking about, within the next few years, a new police station.”
Construction continues
Electric Utilities Director Tim Lawrence said the town would remove the streetlights on Main Street, between Pitts and Bay streets, on Wednesday as part of its sidewalk improvement program downtown.
The lights on Main Street would likely remain off at night for four-to-five days, according to Lawrence.
Planning schedule
Planning Director Dave Engelhart said variances for signs at the new Arby’s and Royal Farms stores would be the topic of a planning meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
“They want to go slightly larger,” Engelhart said, adding final site plan approval could come up for a vote before the planning commission during the following week. If that happens, construction could begin in September.
“That’s still moving in that direction,” he said.”
Engelhart also said he contacted members of the housing review committee, which has not met in some time.
“It’s something we need to attend to,” he said. “[Permit Coordinator] Carolyn Duffy works in my office [and] her ninth anniversary with the town is Thursday. She does not remember [the committee] meeting.
“I want to get that board up and going,” Engelhart added.
RFQ issued
The town posted a request for qualifications on its website for municipal planning consulting services.
“This grew out of our need for the commercial architectural design standards,” Engelhart said, adding, “We kind of put it on steroids.”
Engelhart said the town was looking to meet future growth and strategic plan objectives, as well as to create interconnectivity with highway corridors.
“It really has morphed into a large project and I’m excited about it,” he said. “It’s something much needed and we can bring it all together as one study and several documents.”
Cannery update
Rental offices for the new Cannery Village affordable housing complex, located on Flower Street, opened this week inside the Visitor’s Center on Main Street.
The community, still under construction, features more than 40 units and a rent-to-own program available to tenants after leasing for 15 years.