Berlin Planning Board Approves Gates Pond Road Land Transfer, Pushes Zoning Overhaul

BERLIN — January 13, 2026 — Berlin Planning Board unanimously approves a narrow land transfer off Gates Pond Road and pushes to overhaul two key zoning sections before May town meeting. The board voted 4-0 Tuesday to endorse an Approval Not Required plan allowing a property owner to acquire a roughly 50-foot-wide strip from the Highland Commons mall development at 84 Gates Pond Road, assessing a $150 fee; members noted the merged parcel falls short of the 80,000-square-foot buildable-lot threshold. Regional planning consultant Ron, working under an Environmental Assessment grant running through June 2026, warned that the town's inclusionary zoning bylaw — which triggers requirements at six units with no developer incentives — invites avoidance, saying builders in his experience "would just develop up to" the threshold to dodge compliance. The board identified inclusionary zoning and accessory dwelling unit rules as the two sections most urgent to finalize, with Chair Thomas Andrew also calling for renewed contact with the Solomon Pond Mall redevelopment team, where Sears's portion of the property remains under negotiation.