BERLIN – Plans for ping pong tables at Burbage Park moved forward this week with the town council’s approval of the concept.
The Berlin Town Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve We Heart Berlin’s plan to purchase ping pong tables for Burbage Park on William Street. The town will also store the tables until installation plans are finalized.
“This is a splendid idea and I can’t see why anyone would be opposed to this endeavor,” Councilman Dean Burrell said.
We Heart Berlin, the nonprofit created earlier this year devoted to promoting healthy and sustainable recreational opportunities, raised close to $20,000 through alcohol sales at Oktoberfest. As a result, President Tony Weeg told the council this week that he was hoping to move forward with purchasing the tables for Burbage Park while they were available.
“We’d like to begin this process,” he said. “We know one of the first steps is purchasing the tables.”
Weeg showed the council a rendering featuring two ping pong tables with short brick walls between them and the road. Weeg said the walls would give people a place to sit and would also serve as a barrier between the tables and the road.
“We wanted to do something that wasn’t ugly,” he said.
He added that a Salisbury business had already pledged to donate the necessary bricks.
“We may end up with extra dollars to put ping pong tables at other parks in town at the end of this through the money we’ve already raised,” he said.
When asked about maintenance, Weeg said the tables shouldn’t require any. They also come with warranties.
Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood reminded the council that there was a natural gas line through Burbage Park that would have to be taken into account as improvements were made. He also recommended the town develop a memorandum of understanding with We Heart Berlin to formalize the agreement between the town and the nonprofit.
The council voted unanimously to allow the nonprofit to move forward with purchasing the tables and to permit them to be stored by the town.
