BERNE — The sky’s the limit as Berne continues to make plans for Switzkill Farm. The town purchased the former Buddhist retreat — 350 acres, a retreat house, and a lodge — for $475,000 in 2014.

The town board moved at its Feb. 8 meeting to adopt a fee schedule described as a “working draft.” Most of the fees had a lower price for Berne residents, besides retreat rentals, upcoming cabin and campsite rentals, and a “star gazing permit” — a one-time fee in order to be on the property at night.

To rent the lodge on the property for a wedding, for example, it would cost $500 for a Berne resident and $950 for a someone who lives outside of Berne. The fees would go to the town’s general fund.

Councilwoman Karen Schimmer, the Switzkill Farm liaison, told The Enterprise on Wednesday that most activities would not require a fee, such as hiking or skiing on the property.

“These are very specific uses that require someone to be on staff,” she said of the activities that require a fee.

She said the retreat house, with its multiple rooms, is intended to be used like a hostel at $30 a person each night. Amenities must be brought in by the visitor, she said.

At last week’s meeting, Schimmer discussed the potential for the Helderberg Earth and Sky Observatory to certify Switzkill Farm as a silver category Dark Sky Park. There are only 40 such places in the world, said Schimmer, and that was of any category — gold, silver, or bronze.

Schimmer said at the meeting that there is a possibility that HESO would rent land from the town in order to build an observatory on East Hill at Switzkill Farm, something that would be completely funded by the group.

She later told The Enterprise that this would be far off, and would require a contract drawn up. It would only be a lease agreement, she said, and would not involve purchasing of any of the land.

Ron Barnell, president of HESO, said the goal of the group is to build an observatory, but currently they are still working on obtaining a status as a not-for-profit group. Barnell said HESO is in the process known as “Phase I,” the group is looking to certify Switzkill Farm as a Dark Sky Park and work with local schools and universities to arrange stargazing events.

Current initiatives by the Switzkill Farm board, said Schimmer, include planning programs through the summer.

Moratoriums

The town’s planning and zoning boards are currently developing a solar ordinance for Berne. Last Wednesday, the board continued a six-month moratorium for applications, approvals, construction, and installation of ground-mounted solar arrays and solar farms in the town. There had been no public comment at a hearing on the matter. The neighboring town of Knox has a solar ordinance and several companies interested in large solar farms. Nearby Westerlo is currently working on a solar law.

The Berne board also arranged a public hearing for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing on March 8 at 7:15 p.m. The last moratorium — also lasting for six months — was adopted in September 2016. It would deny approvals or permits for any hydraulic fracturing or hydraulic fracturing facility.

Snowy roads

At the meeting, Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger stated that an 800-foot section of Stage Road, from its western entrance onto Route 443 to the corner at 139 Stage Road where the first home on the road sits, will be closed for winter. Bashwinger said the intersection was too dangerous to plow. It had been made a seasonal road last year as well, he said.

A test done by the state found the sight distance to be anywhere from 187 to 750 feet, he said, noting the state recommends 495 feet. He said signs would be put up and added that it would still be plowed if conditions were not bad.

“If we get a foot-and-a-half, two feet of snow, we will not plow that road,” said Bashwinger. “I will not put my guys in jeopardy.”

In an email to the The Enterprise on Monday, Joel Willsey, a resident of East Berne and employee of the state’s Department of Transportation, said that the intersection was impassable Monday morning due to drifting snow. Willsey, as well as his father, are Stage Road residents. He also stated that the portion of Stage Road not deemed seasonal was not usable, and the intersection closed off is depended on by residents.

Bashwinger said he had sent out a letter to Stage Road residents at the beginning of the year about the closing. He told The Enterprise on Monday that the closed-off section is a dirt road which stops before the first home on Stage Road.

“It’s a very dangerous road,” he said.

Corrected on Feb. 27, 2017: The figures for the state’s sight test at the intersection of Route 443 and Stage Road were corrected. Also, the phrase “closed for the winter” replaced the wrong date for seasonal roads.