The Berlin town council meets July 15.

BERLIN — The town of Berlin made headway on plans to expand its parks and recreational amenities during its most recent meeting, July 15, as it approved several key components in the relocation of the Berlin Farmer’s Market.

Mayor Patrick Bates told the council it had been advised for the project to be bid and completed in smaller individual phases, but had received word from engineers at St. John and Associates that the first phase of the process could begin quickly after.

“They said if we can nail down a few particulars tonight, they think we can have a earth work package ready for the September meeting, award it during the October meeting and if the contractors are available they can start work a few weeks after that,” Bates said.

The overall plan will replace the current farmer’s market with a larger structure located just east of the current location. Once completed the new location will feature a walking trail available for residents and public restroom facilities.

One of the major modifications the council approved from the original plan was to swap the material used to construct the market itself. Bates said cost increases and structural limitations had made using wood unfeasible. The council agreed to instead use steel to construct the 70’x100’ structure.

The council also signed off on preliminary plans for the bathroom facilities. Bates presented a drawing that featured three “family style” single occupancy restrooms equipped with baby changing stations. He said he believed this would best serve a wide variety of park guests who were likely to be attending with their children.

The building will also allow for future expansion and leaves room to install a concession stand the town would be able to use for local events and ballgames. Bates also suggested the building be equipped with a geothermal HVAC unit as a trial run to determine if the same type of system should be installed in the future Berlin Town Hall.

Bates said the system is similar to a traditional HVAC system except it involves boring several holes between 200 and 400 feet. While the initial cost to install the system is more costly than a traditional system, Bates estimated the geothermal system would pay for itself in less than 10 years by drastically reducing usage and maintenance costs.

“They do use the same refrigerant, but it only uses a very small amount because the compressor and everything is centralized right there with the unit inside the building,” Bates said. “They just run coolant in a closed loop and they don’t normally leak because they’re not under high pressure or anything like that.”