Berlin’s Heron Park closed again indefinitely

BERLIN, Md. – Berlin’s Heron Park is closed again after town officials say things like piles of debris and standing water have made it unsafe.

“This has been probably the most frustrating thing I’ve ever been involved in the private sector or the public sector,” said Mayor Gee Williams.

Berlin’s Heron Park has turned into a bit of a nightmare thanks to some recent demolition projects and a summer chemical spill.

“The whole project has been much more complicated and filled with surprises,” said Williams.

The chemical spill was the first thing to cause the park’s closure, but now it is metal and wood. It is another headache for the town’s leaders who bought the park 2 years ago with plans to make it a bird seekers paradise.

“It’s harder and it’s cost more than we thought, but now we’re just going to have to take a deep breath and see what all our options are,” said Williams.

Mayor Gee Williams says the town could end up spending 340,000 dollars to get things back on track and for residents that is a hefty price-tag.

“It’s disappointing first of all that we’ve come to this part,” said Robert Palladino, a Berlin resident.

“It fires the rational concerning what’s going to take place from here,” said Palladino.

All of the problems raise a lot of questions about what happens next at this old chicken processing site.

“I just don’t know how much is needed for our little area here as far as open space is concerned,” said Palladino.

Town officials say this park could be closed for several months. Plans for more demolition projects will not move forward until the town establishes a budget next spring.

Mayor Gee Williams says he hopes Heron Park will reopen within the next year.