New Sign Approval Contingent On Dumpster Removal; Globe Owner Blasts HDC Chair Over Questions

New Sign Approval Contingent On Dumpster Removal; Globe Owner Blasts HDC Chair Over Questions
The Globe owner Bryan Brushmiller, left, is pictured before the Historic District Commission Wednesday night. Photo by Charlene Sharpe

BERLIN – A new sign for The Globe prompted heated discussion regarding a dumpster outside the restaurant.

The Berlin Historic District Commission (HDC) on Wednesday approved a sign to be painted on the front of The Globe. Carol Rose, chair of the commission, told The Globe’s Bryan Brushmiller she’d sign the paperwork for the sign once he’d moved the dumpster on Gay Street, which had initially been approved for the back of the building.

“Whoa,” Brushmiller said. “Hold on. The dumpster will be moved tomorrow. The fact that you’re saying that is utterly ridiculous. I think the historical committee’s amazing and I thank you all for what you do. Your attention to detail is utterly, should be commended. However, this is not the time to teach people lessons or take people to task for minor issues. If I were anyone sitting in this room, I think you should look at who the chairman of your board is.”

Brushmiller initially approached the HDC Wednesday seeking approval for a painted sign on the front of The Globe, similar to what he has at Viking Tree. He said The Globe was in its first few weeks of business and needed a sign to let people know it was now open after being closed since late last year.

“Our goal is to basically use the painted sign on the wall in lieu of the up and down sign but we still want to have a marquee,” Brushmiller said. “This gets us the sign on the building until we can find what we want for the price that we want. To be honest with you some of the signs are very expensive.”

Rose said she liked the proposal.

“I love the idea,” Rose said. “I think Viking Tree looks really nice. There’s so many signs hanging all over town, that concept personally I like it.”

At the suggestion of HDC member Mary Moore, Brushmiller said he would reach out to Patrick Henry, who did one of the building’s previous signs, regarding a marquee.

“We believe The Globe is the mecca of the arts and entertainment for the town,” Brushmiller said. “I’m 100% on board with what you’re saying.”

After the HDC agreed to approve the sign, Rose asked Brushmiller about his plan for the dumpster that is now on Gay Street. He told the commission in June he’d planned to put it behind the building. Town officials have asked him to move it from its current location.

“I had a whole proposal to tell you what I was doing with the landscaping,” Brushmiller said. “We wanted to try some historical landscaping to just keep that dumpster hidden from the street. I agree no one wants to drive down a historic street and see the dumpster. We literally came to no more options. I spoke to some people earlier today and about 10 minutes before the meeting started Brooks [Davis] from Wainwrights called me and said ‘happy to help you out.’ And I actually have the dumpster slated to be moved tomorrow. So I’m going to give him a check and get the dumpster people to come. We had a great phone call before I walked in here. He said he had plenty of room and he came to save the day.”

When asked if the dumpster was going behind the garage, Brushmiller said it was.

Rose went on to ask about the condition of The Globe’s outside latticework, which she said was full of weeds, and cardboard boxes sitting outside the building.

“I tell you what Carol, I put over a million dollars in this,” Brushmiller said. “If you don’t think I’m concerned about the outside trash, which I’ve been working on all day today, then you must not even understand where I’m coming from … For you to bring up in a meeting on a sign about me having some boxes that are put there for recycling, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this up because I think this is almost ridiculous.”

Brushmiller said he’d been working on the dumpster issue for some time. Rose said that when he realized the placement approved by the HDC in June wasn’t feasible he should have contacted Planning Director Dave Engelhart.

Moore said she was confident the issue would be addressed and pointed out that Wednesday’s meeting was just for sign approval.

Brushmiller maintained that he’d been successfully working through the dumpster issue.

“We have a great relationship,” he said. “For you to bring this up in a town meeting, I should call this out … what are you trying to teach me a lesson?”

Rose said that when the HDC approved something it should be done. She added that Brushmiller had said the dumpster would be moved previously and it hadn’t been done.

“That’s the only thing we as a board ask,” she said. “When people come we work with them, everything is approved, it should be done that way. If there’s an issue somebody needs to call Dave and let him know.”

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.