BERLIN – Berlin officials reviewed plans last week for a lumber yard planned near Route 113.
The Berlin Planning Commission offered no major concerns about a Decks and Docks location planned for an industrial property on Franklin Avenue. Company representatives are eager to make the Berlin site Decks and Docks’ first Maryland store.
“This property right now is underutilized,” said Brian Basye, manager for Decks and Docks. “We could take that property and do so much more with it.”
Basye told the commission Decks and Docks, which has 20 stores in seven states, wanted to set up a lumber yard in Maryland. After looking through Berlin, the company settled on the site at 513 Franklin Ave. Basye said the company didn’t need much indoor space but would fence in the one-acre property in because there would be lumber stored outside. As a supplier, Decks and Docks wouldn’t be doing deck and dock work but would be working with other local businesses to sell them lumber for jobs.
“We’ll partner with contractors in this area,” Basye said.
Decks and Docks’ Nicole Smith said the company wanted to review their concept with the commission to see if there were any major concerns. She said they wanted to plan a project that commission members felt fit Berlin.
“We’re not at all married to anything specific,” she said.
Chris Denny, chair of the commission, said he’d like to see some exterior photos from other Decks and Docks locations so he’d have an idea of what the outside storage of lumber would look like. Commission member Pete Cosby encouraged the Decks and Docks representatives to incorporate a significant amount of landscaping into their plan.
“We want the town to look good from (Route) 113,” he said.
Commission member Austin Purnell praised the plan.
“It’d be nice to have a functioning business back there,” he said.
Commission member Ron Cascio echoed Cosby’s comments.
“We’re just concerned with what it looks like from the highway,” Cascio said.
With no major concerns from the commission, Basye said Decks and Docks would prepare a formal site plan and return to the commission to seek approval in the coming months.
