BERLIN, MD – The Berlin Board of Zoning Appeals will meet on April 2 to consider a request to waive certain requirements for a new public parking lot. The Town Council, led by Mayor Zack Tyndall, has secured a lease for a vacant 2.13-acre lot at the corner of West and Washington Streets.
The proposed parking lot would provide over 100 spaces to address growing parking needs near the Town Center District. However, the proposed layout may not meet specific requirements outlined in the Town Code.
Under the code, off-street parking areas must be situated at least 20 feet from street lines and residential properties. While the applicants point out that this rule has been waived for other public parking lots near Main Street, they seek the same exception for this lot. Additionally, the lease stipulates a fencing requirement, which the Town Council would like to use in place of the required landscaped buffer. The Town Code also mandates that parking lots be paved, but the lease prohibits paving. The Town Council has stated that if the paving requirement is enforced, the lease would be voided, resulting in a $60,000 penalty. The Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, in the Town Hall Council Chambers.
