Berlin council approves invitation to bid for Westminster–Abbey–Upshur stormwater upgrades after heated public comment

The Berlin Mayor and Council voted to authorize an invitation to bid for stormwater upgrades at Buckingham Estates and Upshur Street, approving motion 2026-40 after an extended public hearing and technical briefing from the town’s engineer.

The project, funded through a Maryland DNR watershed grant, would retrofit two existing stormwater basins into submerged-gravel wetland ("smart gravel wetland") facilities and add vegetated surface features and interpretive signage. Consultant Steven Lemasters told the council the redesigned ponds are sized to manage approximately 3.6 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period — roughly the town’s 2-year event — and could hold “about four times more water after construction than what it can currently do.”

Residents urged a broader approach. Mary Kopechke of Westminster Drive, who identified herself during public comment, said the planned retrofit “isn’t gonna help any of that to drain” for neighbors who have chronic backyard flooding and blocked ditches. Multiple speakers said private property grading, culverts and past permits have created local impediments that the DNR grant — which prioritizes water quality outcomes — will not fix.

Town staff and the engineer acknowledged those limits while urging the council to accept the grant-funded work now. “Rather than doing nothing at all, we want to try and make some meaningful strides toward trying to improve the area,” the meeting’s presiding official said, urging residents that the project is one piece of a longer-term plan.

Councilmember Green moved to approve the invitation to bid; Vice President Burrell seconded. The motion passed 3–1 with Councilmember Orris opposed and Councilmember Nichols absent.

The town said the grant covers construction and part-time inspection; officials also noted that larger, system-wide fixes such as upsizing infrastructure on West Street will require additional funding and are being pursued separately. Staff committed to continued coordination with affected residents, including follow-up on private-property impediments and potential enforcement or remediation paths.

The council recorded the vote and directed staff to publish the bid package and a schedule for contractor questions and site visits. Work under the grant must be completed by the grant deadlines set in the DNR award; staff said they will keep residents informed of the procurement timetable and construction phasing.