Project proposed for east side of Route 113
While residents objected to the location of a proposed hotel, Berlin planning officials told developers this week it needed architectural improvements if it was going to be built in town.
Developers approached the Berlin Planning Commission on March 13 with plans for a four-story, 78-unit Microtel on the east side of Route 113 near Franklin Avenue. Several residents, most who said they lived near the proposed location, said they didn’t want to see a hotel so close to a day care and a school in an already busy area. Commission members were quick to express their concerns regarding the appearance of the building.
“This doesn’t suit our identity, it doesn’t come close,” commission member Ron Cascio said. “It’s got to reflect the ambiance of the town.”
Heather Morrison of Fisher Architecture presented the commission with plans for the proposed Microtel, which is being considered for the 5-acre site near the former South Moon Under property. She said the property was zoned for commercial use and the proposed hotel met the town’s 45-foot height limit.
Matt Stoehr, chair of the commission, pointed out this was the second hotel proposed in Berlin in the last few years and questioned the need. Developer Tom Zambetis said Microtel saw a need based on its occupancy rates in West Ocean City. He added that Route 113 was heavily traveled and the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin only had 16 rooms.
Commission member Pete Cosby acknowledged the need for another hotel in Berlin but said Route 113 was a main corridor in Berlin.
“I’ve got a real problem with your architecture, with the look of the building,” he said. “I’d like to see something special.”
His peers offered similar comments.
“This looks like it could be anywhere in the country,” commission member Austin Purnell said.
Wait till government housing that’s already been approved by Governor Wes Moore aka Moron starts there.
Per Wes Moron, it’s time to diversify Berlin, and allow poor blacks to enjoy 😉 the same land.
That project was voted on and passed by Jake Day in Annapolis during Black History Month
You finally object to something, but will be of no use. This will bring money to the town so you best believe your concerns are not going to be heard. notice all they care about is the way it looks not where it is or what kind of crap this can cause. Next thing you know this place will be live village of 5 points in delaware, where they wait until the last minute to think about everything being build up in that area that it is unfixable with traffic now.
It only took 30 years to even start on a new round-a-bout they are putting in. Which won’t help.
thedsew gov’t workers don’t care about anything, if they did they would listen. All they care about is money and this is more proof positive. At least they said it had to look a certain way, but that won’t solve traffic jams and car accidents and theft from low income people living in the microtel. Then just wait for them to start calling your area part of ocean city. And how things will go up.
Like in selbyville delaware where they now charge beach prices for homes which is not even near the beach. But remember you won’t be affected by any of it, UNTIL YOU ARE. Just take a drive down to Millsboro and that wawa in the the summertime and see if you want your area like that. Trashed up, traffic backed up you can’t even get out of your development or house.
Cheap Hotel investors do care about LOL ambiance. I have one only three years old that looms over my property lights up my yard and in this short of time is molding and stained like a relic from the 70’s. The county didn’t care about including my neighborhood in it’s development and we are now plagued with noise, low class tourists and an abundance of light and water that runs off the paved lot. Good luck.
Berlin’s identity would be best mirrored by a cluster of those cute little roadside cottages that were popular in the 1950s, like line of tiny rustic houses.
We used to rent one for a week to fish in the St. Lawrence River in New York and on the Canadian side.
That’s how Berlin feels.