Associate Editor
BERLIN– A proposal from a developer interested in Heron Park will not be added to the town council’s agenda.
In a straw poll this week, the council indicated 3-2 that they did not want to grant a local developer’s request to have his proposed Heron Park contract added to a future meeting agenda. The decision comes about two months after the council opted not to continue negotiations with developer Palmer Gillis.
“I think we should decide what we want do with the property before we entertain selling any of it,” Councilman Jack Orris said.
At the close of Monday’s meeting, Mayor Zack Tyndall told the council a local developer had asked to be placed on the agenda to present a contract for the acquisition of Heron Park. While no name was mentioned, developer Jack Burbage approached the council when negotiations were still ongoing with Gillis to share a vision for a mixed use project at Heron Park.
Tyndall said he was sharing the request with the council to get feedback.
“My recommendation would be before you entertain any offers to sell all or a portion of Heron Park that we clearly articulate if that’s the path you want to go down,” he said, adding that a request for proposals (RFP) should be drafted so anyone could submit a bid.
Orris was quick to say he felt the council needed to decide what it wanted to do with the property before any offers could be considered.
“I think entertaining a contract without even going through the RFP process would be considered ill-advised from a business person’s standpoint,” Orris said. “That may … give the appearance of an unfair advantage in the future.”
Councilman Steve Green said Tyndall had handled the situation correctly.
“I’m not interested in entertaining any other thoughts or plans for the chicken plant until we know the council majority that turned down the most recent proposal, what they want to do,” he said.
He said the council had met several times with Gillis before the majority voted to end negotiations.
“I don’t think it’s fair to have another bidder come forward after hearing all of our conversations and being very aware of the pricing and positions taken by each of us as to why we were in favor or why we were opposed,” Green said.
Councilman Dean Burrell said he’d been opposed to the Gillis proposal because he felt it would hurt downtown Berlin. He stressed that what he wanted to do with the property wasn’t important.
“It is important that we search out the opinions and recommendations of folks that live in the town of berlin to entertain what they would like to see out on Heron Park,” Burrell said. “I believe that if someone has an idea of what, I’m not saying enter into a contract, if someone has an idea of what Heron Park could be, I think it is worth the citizens of the Town of Berlin having an opportunity to hear that idea.”
Tyndall said he was not putting the item on the agenda unless the majority of the council wanted it on the agenda. Councilman Jay Knerr said that because there were plans to build a skatepark on parcel 410, the only parcel of the property really left to sell was parcel 57.
“I think it’s in our best interest to listen to anybody with an idea,” he said. “We don’t have to accept it, we don’t have to act on it … it might help us formulate what we want there. I think it’s worth our time.”
Councilwoman Shaneka Nichols said she felt anyone interested in the property should go through the RFP process like the last entity had. She felt it wouldn’t be fair otherwise.
“Whoever comes forth needs to be treated the same way that the other individuals were treated,” she said.
Tyndall said that with the majority of the council (Orris, Green and Nichols), he would not be placing the Heron Park proposal on the agenda.
