BERLIN – Officials this week approved plans for a new brewery in Berlin.
The Berlin Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan for Berlin Beer Company, a new brewery proposed for the former Broad Street Station building.
“It’s perfect for the location,” commission member Pete Cosby said. “I’m excited about it.”
Glen and Adam Davis approached the commission this week seeking site plan approval for Berlin Beer Company, which they plan to open at 115 Broad St.
Adam Davis said he was partnering with The Street Kitchen, which will provide food at the brewery.
He told the commission they wanted to retain as much of the history of the building—which was a Southern States for many years and was initially built in the 1930s as a freight train station—as they could.
“We want to keep that character and the historic aspect of it,” he said.
Davis said they planned to restore the original board and batten siding on the building and add a 2,000-square-foot addition on the northwest portion of the site.
“That would house all the brew related things,” he said.
Davis stressed that he wanted the facility to be a community gathering place and didn’t expect it to disrupt the neighborhood. He said he’d put most of the brewing activity on the site to the back, closest to Adkins Company.
“I don’t envision this being more than a community gathering place,” he said.
Commission members asked if parking was sufficient. Town staff said they wouldn’t know until the fire marshal weighed in on the facility’s occupancy. Davis said he had 26 proposed spaces, which was more than the property had when it was Broad Street Station.
Cosby said he liked the project but wanted to see the landscape and lighting plan for the site.
“I’d like to see as many big trees as we can get,” he said.
Commission member Newt Chandler said he thought the proposal fit the property well.
“I think it’s a good plan” he said.
Commission member Ron Cascio echoed their comments and said his only concern would be noise but that he knew the Davis family and didn’t expect that to be an issue.
Glen Davis said it would definitely not be a music venue.
“We live four blocks from the place,” he said. “We don’t want to do anything that’s detrimental.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan contingent on the proposed parking being sufficient for occupancy and as long as lighting and landscaping plans were submitted.
