BERLIN – A Berlin merchant will move forward with plans to add a second story onto his building following approval from the town’s historic district commission.
Jeff Auxer, who owns a glass blowing studio on Jefferson Street, received permission Wednesday from the Berlin Historic District Commission to add a second story to his shop. Auxer says he plans to use it as living space.
“I think it’s a nice addition,” commission member Mary Moore said.
Auxer, who purchased the building that houses his shop in 2009, told the commission he wanted to build a second story onto the back side of his building so he could live there. In response to questions from the commission members, Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, said Auxer’s plan did adhere to the town’s code.
“It is permitted to have in the B-1 or B-2 district to have ground-floor retail and second or third floor residential,” he said.
“That’s the first question Jeff asked me.”
Commission member Rick Stack said he liked the fact that Auxer wanted to put the second story addition on the back of the building and not on the front.
“This is obviously a difficult building to add on to, to make it look better,” Stack said. “It reminds me of the old lady in the shoe.”
Auxer said his engineer was confident the building could support a second floor. He added that the addition would not be accessible from his shop, but rather from a separate exterior stairway.
“It’s not going to be connected upstairs and downstairs,” Auxer said. “The only way to get in is from the exterior.”
The commission voted 4-0 to approve the addition.
On Wednesday, the commission also approved plans for a trio of properties on Main Street. An addition and fence were approved for 102 S. Main St. while a new gardening shed was approved for 201 S. Main Street.
Builder Robert Pilchard was given permission to go ahead with a roof replacement on the porch of the historic home owned by Hale Harrison at 413 S. Main St. The work, Pilchard explained, had been requested by town staff as the existing roof was deteriorated. The whole house, he added, was in bad shape.
“It really is a mess,” Joel Todd said.
Carol Rose, chair of the commission, asked if Harrison had any plans for the old house. Pilchard said he wasn’t aware of any but that he thought the building was beyond repair.
Rose said she didn’t typically want to see historic buildings torn down but that she was concerned about the falling down structure.