Berkshire Country Store set to reopen

CORNWALL — The closing is expected to be completed June 13, and with that, Carole and Earle Tyler will get to work reopening the Berkshire Country Store.

Residents seem to welcome the news, Carole Tyler told The Journal earlier this week. The plan is to open slowly, with the gas pumps back in business (they hope) by July 1.

They are working on finding a new supplier for biodiesel.

“We have a lot of work to do so we will probably open a piece at a time. We need to redo the interior and maybe the kitchen,� she said. “We want to bring it back to a real country store. We’ve gotten a lot of input from residents about what they want, and we’ll go from there.�

The store and gas station have received generally sound support from residents, particularly those in the north end of Cornwall, who  otherwise have to travel miles for essentials. The store closed in January, a year after Beth and Rick Cochrane bought it from Walter and Joann Dethier.

The Cochrans made some changes, such as installing a biodiesel pump to become the state’s first retailer.

They wanted to make major improvements, as well as build a family home on the 5-acre lot. But the property, although long used commercially, is zoned residential. A request for a zone change there brought extensive public input. A few were outright against it. The general opinion was that the store was a must, but a zone change would open the door to unwanted possibilities, regardless of the Cochrane’s low-key plans. In the midst of that debate, the Cochran’s spilt up. The store closed.

Tyler said they have advised the town they won’t be seeking a zone change or doing any work beyond the existing use.

“The only thing we plan to do after we fix up the interior is do something with the outside. The building has no character. We want to make it fit in with its surroundings and have a real country store atmosphere.�

Running the store will be a family affair. Earle will keep his day job working for the city of Torrington. Their son, Jason Allen, will move into the apartment below the store, putting him in charge of “security� as well.

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