Berlin Conservation Commission Authorizes Up to $10,000 to Appraise 10-Acre Conservation Parcel

BERLIN — June 3, 2026 — Berlin Conservation Commission authorizes $10,000 appraisal for 10-acre parcel next to Clark Conservation Area. The commission voted unanimously Wednesday to fund an appraisal of a roughly 10-acre property associated with 167 West Street, splitting the cost between $1,500 from its annual operating budget and $8,500 from open space funds, with Sudbury Valley Trustees offering to make an interim purchase on the town's behalf. Property owner Lucille Ayers, who attended the meeting with real estate representative James Holyoke, said she had already fielded interest from a developer who could potentially access the back parcel across the CSX rail corridor. The commission also confronted CSX over an unpermitted culvert replacement near 92 Allen Road — installed without a Notice of Intent — and directed staff to demand a filing by the following Monday or escalate to the state Department of Environmental Protection, with one member noting "not when you violate state law" in response to CSX's claim of unfettered property rights. Separately, the commission approved $7,560 from open space funds to pay contractor Rob Horn to reroute three-quarters of a mile of Mount Pisgah trail — a cost members called two to three times below market rate.