Berlin Board of Health Approves River Road Septic Plan, Clears ADU Renovation

BERLIN — December 16, 2025 — Berlin Board of Health clears 100 River Road septic plan and sets ADU construction precedent. The board voted unanimously at its December 16 Zoom meeting to approve a variance-free, five-bedroom septic system and new artesian well for a historic brick home at the former Spooky World site, with Carol Liry representing owner Peter Hoffman, who has scaled back earlier plans for a museum and now intends to offer the renovated house as a rental. The board also granted conditional permission for a separate applicant to begin barn-to-ADU renovations before completing a required septic upgrade, with one member recusing himself due to proximity — stipulating that the upgrade must be finished before any occupancy permit is issued. Four Berlin vendors — Berlin Liquors, Oriental City, Berlin Wine and Spirits, and Berlin Auto Services — were flagged for failing to renew tobacco sales permits that expired October 31. The board's agent reported that a landfill cap assessment has been pushed into 2026 after shallow refuse was found on the Jones Road side of the site and weather prevented completion of roughly 30 planned test holes, delaying plans for a potential solar field on the property.