A compromise has been reached between the developer and residents wishing to preserve the historic house.
At a Planning and Zoning board meeting on May 4, it was approved that the more than 150-year-old house at 11 Jackson Road that was being eyed for demolition by property developers would not be torn down.
The decision came after several Berlin Borough residents spoke out about its demolition on April 19.
However, there are a few stipulations.
Schaeffer Land LLC has still purchased the property, which will still be subdivided into three lots. Two houses will be constructed in two of the lots, while the third will remain occupied by the Jackson Road home, located at block 1400 in lot 14.
As part of the agreement, the houses constructed on the two sub-properties must be architecturally similar to surrounding structures, so as to maintain the historic character of the borough.
Several potential designs were presented at the meeting, with at least one receiving favorable response from borough residents.
Construction of these two new houses is expected to begin in the near future, and Jason Schaeffer expressed intention to finish at least one by September.
As another stipulation, the Jackson Road house must be restored to livable conditions, or at least be well on its way to being restored, within three years.
If these conditions are not met, Schaeffer will be granted the ability to demolish the property.
Schaeffer will sell the house back to the borough for $1 to allow it to begin the restoration. The Berlin Historical Commission plans to spearhead the restoration, which will be funded by donations and volunteers.
“There are no losers in this deal,” said Len Badolato, council liaison for the historical commission.
“No tax money will go into the deal. A lot of people are trying to save this house, and I know people who are willing to donate time doing fundraising or carpentry for the house,” he said. “It will bring people in the community together.”
If the house is not fully restored but shows significant progress within three years, it will be granted one additional year to finish its restoration.
The Berlin Historical Commission became a government-recognized organization in 2016. So far, it has received $35,000 in grants toward preservation projects, including fixing up the Berlin Historic Hotel, occupied by the Marie Fleche Memorial Library, and amending the borough’s historical district.
Badolato said this is the organization’s first endeavor in preserving a building that was meant to be torn down.
However, this is not the first time Badolato has been down this street. Badolato was involved with the preservation of the Berlin Historic Hotel in the 1990s when it was subject to being demolished by developers.
Badolato said the hotel had been saved thanks to the volunteers who offered their time and service.
He said he is optimistic the Jackson Road home will see the same level of dedication.
“I could be comparing apples to oranges, but the hotel didn’t have nearly the same number of people interested in helping out as this building does,” he said. “And the hotel is a lot bigger.”
