Berlin ZBA Delays 3 Gates Pond Road Hearing 30 Days After Abutters Not Notified

Zoning Board · Meeting of June 10, 2026

Berlin Zoning Board delays mixed-use hearing after abutter notification failure. The Berlin Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously at its June 10 meeting to extend by 30 days the application timeline for a special permit at 3 Gates Pond Road, rescheduling the hearing to July 8 after Vice Chair Jim Royer confirmed that the required newspaper notice had not been published and abutters had not been formally notified. Chair Lynn Ryan walked applicant Jose Guzman and his representatives through a detailed outstanding-requirements checklist that included a Mylar site plan for Registry of Deeds filing, all-floor interior plans, a Board of Health sign-off on septic system upgrades required under Title 5, and a Conservation Commission letter required under Zoning Bylaw Section 1234.10.

The board also reorganized for fiscal year 2027, re-electing Ryan as chair, confirming Jim Royer as vice chair and Sue Roberts as clerk, and voted to recommend that the Select Board reappoint Pat Jackson as a regular member and Joshua Martin as an alternate for five-year terms; Member Keith Soucy announced he would not seek reappointment, leaving the board without one of its seven seats heading into the July hearing.

In the full story:

• Background and stakes
• The question before the body
• What happened and why the hearing could not proceed
• The deliberation over missing documents and requirements
• Procedural steps and outcome
• Implications and what is next
• The complete report — 2,192 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of June 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.