Berlin Board of Health Greenlights Gates Pond Road System, Defers Two Well Requests

BERLIN — March 18, 2026 — Berlin Board of Health approves new septic system, defers two well requests to April 7. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to allow construction to move forward at 188 Gates Pond Road, where a builder is replacing a demolished home with a new house, a 1,500-gallon gravity-fed septic system, and a rehabilitated drilled well — subject to passing quantity and quality tests. Two other well matters, one at 39 Sawyer Hill Road involving an agricultural irrigation well on the former Henry Wheeler property and another at a West Berlin Road site associated with a party identified as Chartner, were held over because supporting plans had not been formally placed on the agenda; both return April 7. A waiver on a septic tank upgrade at 20 Walnut Street — triggered by approximately $145,000 in renovations — expires July 30, and the board is awaiting a written extension request from the property owner. The board also confirmed its April 7 meeting will be held in person at town offices at 7 p.m. to take up tobacco regulation revisions, with board agent Bill noting that Zoom has "nuanced limitations" for that kind of working session.