BERLIN – Town officials opted to table consideration of an electric service agreement with Sonrise Church this week.
On Monday, the Berlin Town Council agreed to make no decision regarding a request from Sonrise Church because no one from the organization was in attendance. Council members agreed to postpone a decision until their next meeting.
“Honestly, from this point moving forward, if someone’s asking for this I’d really like them to be here,” Councilman Thom Gulyas said. “We’re here, they should be here. I’ve got no problem with tabling it.”
According to Town Administrator Laura Allen, the Sonrise Church property (10026 Main St.) is in the territory served by Berlin Electric but has been served by Delmarva Power for years.
“It became apparent when Sonrise bought the property,” Allen said.
She said that while the bulk of the transition process had been completed, there was a final step that needed to be taken.
“We talked to Sonrise last year, they asked if they could have some time to adjust to the transition,” Allen said. “We said sure. The expiration date for that is on Wednesday.”
In a meeting earlier this month, Allen said Executive Pastor Keith Hammer told town officials the church would like a little more time before the property switched from Delmarva Power to Berlin Electric.
“They’d like an extension until the first of November,” she said.
Mayor Gee Williams asked if the issue was simply a procedural matter.
Allen said the church’s request for an extension related to its plans for the property.
“I understand the church’s interest in development options have changed,” she said.
She explained that the cost of the electric infrastructure related to the property’s transition from one service provider to another will vary depending on how the property will be utilized. When Sonrise purchased the property in 2016, church leaders said they planned to subdivide the property so the portion of it closest to the highway could be sold to commercial interests.
In an interview Thursday, Hammer said church representatives missed Monday’s meeting because of a scheduling error but would be in attendance at the council’s next meeting. He confirmed that the request for an extension related to the church’s change in plans for the former Merial Select property. While the church had intended to subdivide the large parcel and sell three lots to commercial interests—including potentially a hotel and restaurant—officials realized the process and associated costs were more than the organization could afford.
“At the end of the day, we looked at the economic feasibility of moving forward and it just didn’t make sense for us,” Hammer said. “We’re setting aside those subdivision plans.”
Instead, the church will make use of the site’s four existing buildings. The church office now occupies one of them, while its thrift shop and ministries occupy another. The largest building on the site, a former warehouse, is going to be converted into Sonrise Church’s primary worship space.
“That’s a big project we’re going to approach in multiple phases,” Hammer said.
He said the first phase — getting the building into a usable condition — was underway now. He hopes the church will have a certificate of occupancy by June. Future phases will further renovate and enhance the building.
The fourth building on the property, which would have been demolished if the church had subdivided the parcel, will now be used for the church’s student ministry. It will also provide storage space.
Though subdividing and selling a portion of the property would have helped fund renovations at the existing buildings, Hammer says those projects will still move forward as money is raised.
“It just extends the timing for completion of all three phases,” he said. “Originally, we thought with the prospect of a hotel, it would be a win-win for us and the community. It just turned out to not be an economically viable decision for us.”
