Lee Coulombe started a real estate company in Berlin NH in 1973. He passed away the other day after a long battle with cancer. He was a mentor to many successful business people in the Berlin area, and very successful himself. He grew up on a farm in Bethel Maine, getting into business in his early teens by raising lab rats and transporting them by train to Portland Maine where they were used for scientific testing. Having graduated from Gould Academy voted most likely to succeed, Lee opened a photography studio in Berlin which began his career as a successful entrepeneur. Having a passion for photography became lucrative enough for him to begin purchasing real estate investments, a bank and eventually opening his real estate firm, Coulombe Real Estate Inc. Having worked in his agency for almost 25 years I purchased the firm along with another Realtor in the office about two years ago. He will be missed by a great many in Berlin.
The purpose of this blog is to effect a change of perception of Berlin both locally and beyond. Lee had always stated that many people in Berlin have succeeded in Berlin despite Berlin. He was referring to a paper mill town with a stench and appearance that made it extremely difficult to entice anyone from the outside world that quality of life could be found in Berlin. In attempts to conjure up positives, "the smell" was the "smell of money", the appearance was a "diamond in the rough".
Lee, although keenly proud of the history of Berlin's paper industry, would have wanted to see the last smoke stack on the Burgess mill site fall as the boiler and stack stands in the way of a renewed Berlin and threatens a downward spiral of operating area wood commodity businesses, forest sustainability, and substantial electric rate increases. Recognizing that businesses want to move where people want to live, where power is reasonable and travel access is readily available, Lee was also keenly aware of the issues we face in the north country. He often referred to Littleton's cheap power and easy interstate access as the key to Littleton's success.
So how do we change this perception? How do we protect this area from higher electrical rates, risk to forest sustainability? How do we improve travel access?
One of the key elements to any city center is a positive perception. The curb appeal of Main St. will be enhanced dramatically by focusing on two remaining segments; the Cote block and the Rite Aid blocks. If you take those two blocks out of the mix, Berlin's Main St. has already come a long way. With the addition of numerous businesses looking to build around the waste water treatment plant, the Burgess mill site no longer needs to be Berlin's industrial base and the city can enjoy a toxin limited city center as it should be where the area's population resides.
ReplyDeleteVisit interiors of Berlin stores on Main St. over the holidays to see how beautiful their turn of century architecture is and buy something for Christmas while you're there.
Our business will be hand delivering calendars to all merchants shortly in the spirit of the holidays, and purchasing at least one gift from each store to provide to the Salvation army. In tough economic times it is imperative for all to work together in bringing Berlin's economy back to life.
New England is becoming educated to the fact that big biomass plants that threaten forest sustainability and higher efficiency uses of biomass are not the bandade fix to the woods industry they were cut out to be.
ReplyDeleteArticles are appearing everywhere regarding efficient use of biomass within our cities and towns while proposals for large biomass plants offering no more than 25% efficiency are being questioned. It is good to see questioning prior to poor forestry practices much of New England has already endured through absense of law to protect sustainability. Perhaps we've learned a lesson this time around?
Remember, before you read any further that there will only be one biomass plant in Berlin. Let's assume everyone ends up choosing the more efficient proposal around the wastewater treatment plant. Here's what could happen: Clean Power would build a plant that would look like a working farm. Chips would be housed in Silos. Loggers would be put back to work. 25+ jobs would be created through Clean Power. Additionally Steam from the plant would be supplied to nearby industrial facilities, such as the paper mill in Gorham. A variety of industrial users could tap into that steam at their desired pressure at a reasonable cost, without the capital cost of their own steam generating system, or the operational cost of oil, maintenance or staff. Synergistic companies are partnering with Clean Power to provide more jobs to a location (a waste water treatment plant) that couldn't ask for a better use.
ReplyDeleteNow the Burgess mill site. Numerous people have asked, what would you do with a Brownfield site like that if the last stack were to fall? Where would you get the money?
This author has researched the players behind the Burgess mill site and they are not just Laidlaw. These guys, of whom I will not divulge their names, are well acquainted with developing the entire brownfield site into a center for a New Berlin. A Pease Berlin Tradeport if you will. A connector for ATV and Snowmobile access East to West. Home to computer age businesses not reliant on road access. A toxin safe, 60 acre, fresh slate to build upon with prestine presidential mountain views absent of any industrial eyesores within viewing distance.
Jon, why haven't the other biomass plants in the area like Bethlehem and Whitefield drawn other industry? Why would Berlin be different?
ReplyDelete