BERLIN – For Carol Rose, serving on the town’s historic district commission comes down to one thing.
“You’ve got to love your town,” the longtime resident said.
Rose, the current chair of the Berlin Historic District Commission, has been serving on the board tasked with maintaining the downtown’s historic character for a dozen years. Born and raised in Berlin, her memories of the town and interest in its history made her eager to serve when she was asked to do so by then-Mayor Tom Cardinale. She’s been volunteering her time ever since. She’s spoken to local children about the town’s historic buildings, advised homeowners on where they might find grants and researched the applications presented to the historic district commission each month.
According to the historic preservation section of Berlin’s town code, the purpose of the historic district commission is to safeguard the heritage of the town by preserving its architectural history. The commission is tasked with reviewing applications from property owners interested in making exterior changes to buildings within the town’s historic district, which runs from roughly Powellton Avenue to the end of South Main Street.
“Before the construction, alteration, repair, moving or demolition of any structure, including, without limitation, a change of exterior color, wall or roof surfacing materials, is made within the historic district, which would affect the exterior appearance of a structure or site in the district, the person proposing the construction or change shall file with the historic district commission…,” the code reads. “Every such application shall be referred to and considered by the historic district commission, and no permit for any change may be granted until the commission has acted thereon as hereinafter provided.”
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams says the community is lucky town leaders and residents in the 1970s — a time when much of the town was boarded up — had the foresight to establish the commission.
“It is particularly impressive that this local governing body was formed at a time when some folks did not think Berlin had a future to be worthy of consideration,” Williams said. “We are very fortunate historic guidelines were put in place before we lost many homes and commercial buildings to demolition with the replacement of late 20th century structures devoid of architectural style or significance.”
While you’ll find such homes on streets like Washington and West, you won’t find them in Berlin’s historic district. There, iconic structures such as the Atlantic Hotel remain much as they were in the early 1900s.
Rose says there have been several projects in recent years that have really bolstered the historic appearance of the town. She points to the reinstallation of a porch on the second floor of Rayne’s Reef — something it had decades ago — as well as the restoration of what’s known as the Eschenburg home on Main Street and the rehabilitation of the mixed use building that houses Sisters. She said all of Ernest Gerardi’s work downtown, particularly at the former hardware store and Leaky Pete’s, had also improved the town’s appearance.
“These are some things that really make me happy,” she said.
While it’s the larger projects that gain the public’s attention, little things make a difference too. That, Rose says, is why the historic district commission approves things like sign alterations at businesses within the district.
“It’s just to make sure when somebody goes down Main Street there’s some kind of uniformity and it’s attractive,” she said.
According to town code, in considering applications the commission should take into account the historic and architectural significance of a structure, its relationship to the surrounding area, the general compatibility of the proposed exterior design and “any other factors, including aesthetic factors, which the commission deems to be pertinent.”
“We don’t tell you, ‘you have to paint your front door green,’” she said. “If someone wants to do something, we work with them the best we can.”
Commission members also make an effort to listen to the concerns of town citizens during their monthly meetings. Anyone interested in a particular project is typically given the chance to comment at the meetings held the first Wednesday of every month.
“To me citizen input is crucial,” Rose said. “I think that’s part of our job.”
She admits that the varying views presented by applicants, citizens and commission members can sometimes make decisions difficult. The most difficult of those, she says, was the determination to allow vinyl windows on the upper stories of the Atlantic Hotel. The use of vinyl remains a hot topic in town — a recent decision to allow vinyl windows on a Broad Street home was made only after lengthy debate and a 3-2 vote.
Williams said he didn’t expect the commission to come to unanimous decisions on each application.
“This is fundamental to their role in the community which requires thoughtful consideration and uncommonly good common sense,” he said.
Rose says that since she’s been on the commission, she’s served with a variety of residents that, regardless of their viewpoints, have been committed to making sure the town’s historic district is maintained.
“The caliber of the commission has been excellent,” she said.
While they might have differing ideas on different aspects of restoration, like Rose, they’re interested in the town’s past and want to see its history reflected in its architecture for years to come.
“I don’t want to see that lost,” Rose said.