BERLIN – Berlin officials reviewed a concept plan for a mixed-use building on Jefferson Street.
Members of the Berlin Planning Commission last week shared their thoughts on a concept plan for a mixed-use structure proposed for the Berlin Commons. Property owners Brett and Megan Hines said they wanted some input from local officials before they created detailed plans for the project.
“We wanted to start a conversation with you and make sure we’re going down the right path,” Brett Hines said.
He told the commission that because of the unique shape of the Jefferson Street lot, any building would likely require some setback adjustments or variances from the town’s board of appeals. Erich Pfeffer, the project’s architect, said they’d already approached the board once but that their request had been tabled because the board wanted more information. He told the commission the project as proposed, though very conceptual, would consist of restaurant space on the ground floor and small apartment units above.
“We didn’t want too much time into the specifics without making sure the setbacks and variances were there,” Hines said.
The building as proposed shows about 1,200 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 400 square feet of residential space on the second and third floors.
Dave Engelhart, the town’s planning director, said the Berlin Fire Company had provided preliminary comments on the proposed structure and had concerns about access if a firetruck was needed.
“We all know Jefferson and Gay are very narrow streets,” Engelhart said. “They’re some of the older streets in Berlin. Chief Downing likes to say they weren’t designed for cars they were designed for horses and carriages. But the ladder trucks needed for a four-story building or three-story building, they are the ladder trucks with the outriggers.”
Commission member Ron Cascio asked if the residential space was meant for short-term rentals or year-round lodging. Hines said it was intended to be year-round rental space.
“I have ongoing concerns that a lot of permanent housing is going to be turned into Airbnbs and these small spaces we need for our residents are going to go for the high dollar Airbnbs,” Cascio said.
Commission member Matt Stoehr said he felt parking would be an issue for the project. As proposed the plan has four spaces.
“That it does tax the town’s limited parking already,” he said.
Pfeffer said he hadn’t wanted to invest too much time in diagraming potential parking without knowing if the property could even get the variance it needed for the proposed structure. He added that Habitat for Humanity’s previously approved plans for the property showed a building with parking situated on the southern tip of the triangular lot.
“From a design perspective that seems a super dangerous spot to have parking,” he said, alluding to the variety of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area.
Commission member Newt Chandler said the property was in the historic district and asked what building the proposed structure had been modeled on.
“None, because there isn’t really any historic property immediately adjacent to it,” Pfeffer said.
Commission members pointed out there were properties like the Atlantic Hotel in the area, however.
“We haven’t begun really designing it yet,” Hines said. “We were trying to get something on paper that shows what might be able to be done.”
Engelhart said the town’s historic district officials had recently approved another modern building in the neighborhood.
“This is probably a little modern for what’s there,” he said. “You saw the building for Mr. Selway. It went through a couple meetings. It got softened, it got changed a little bit.”
Engelhart also addressed parking and said that in cases where a property was within 200 feet of a public lot that could be used for some parking.
“It can be considered appropriate without having to go to the board of appeals,” he said.
Commission member Pete Cosby said he liked esoteric projects and oddities but felt the proposed building could use some adjustments.
“I think an unusual building on an unusual lot, especially if you maintain the public place out front where you have the outside dining that’s open to the public, I think you’re giving something to the town that’s interesting and unique,” he said. “I like interesting and unique.”
Cascio spoke in support of the concept.
“This is exactly what we’ve been looking for,” he said. “Some people might not like the style, obviously it’s conceptual, but use-wise, utilization of space, location to town, it’s just what we’ve been looking for.”
Resident Ed Hammond expressed concern about the project’s impact on drainage in town said he wasn’t sure the property, and the handful around it, should have been added to the town’s historic district. He said the Selway building was out of style for the location.
“Five, ten years from now I think there’s a real danger this sort of thing will be seen as precedential for actions in other areas of the historic district,” he said. “That could be very bad for the town.”
