BERLIN – Members of the town’s historic district commission will be adjusting building applications in an effort to curb the number of projects going ahead without approval.
For the second time in two months, the Berlin Historic District Commission (HDC) was asked to consider already-made improvements during Wednesday’s meeting. The latest request prompted Carol Rose, chair of the commission, to call for changes to the historic district building application.
“They cannot do any work until they have the approval of this board,” she said.
Last month, Lisa Hall of the Berlin Butcher Shop asked the HDC to approve a pylon sign that had already been installed. The commission denied her request. This month, Justine Zegna of Blacksmith sought approval of exterior lighting that had already been installed. HDC members approved the change but followed the approval with a discussion on how to get property owners to bring projects to the HDC before work began.
Rose suggested contacting the town’s attorney but Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, said staff could simply add a line to the existing HDC application stating the applicant was aware work was not to be done without commission approval.
“We can do that in house,” Engelhart said.
Commissioner Robert Poli expressed concern that the public would start to consider the HDC lenient if requests continued to be approved after the fact.
“If we don’t put our foot down…,” he said. “We’re going to let everybody do it.”
Commissioner Mary Moore said she thought it was up to the HDC to provide the human element in considering projects in the historic district. She said that everything the HDC did was for the benefit of Berlin.
“All of us just love the town,” she said. “We really do care how it’s perceived.”
The board of appeals meeting set to take place following Wednesday’s HDC meeting was canceled. Though the board was set to consider an appeal filed by Hall regarding the HDC’s decision regarding her sign, the issue was postponed at Hall’s request. Engelhart said the appeal would probably be heard Dec. 7.
Rose reminded HDC members that the board would not be considering the commission’s decision regarding the sign but rather whether the proper procedure was followed.
“Their purpose is to decide whether we acted properly,” she said.
If the HDC decision is upheld, Hall could be asked to remove the actual sign insert recently installed.
