BERNE — Something old is new again in Berne.

The town property on  Game Farm Road has been been rechristened Switzkill Farm Road by the town board. The name is actually the original name of the place, says town Supervisor Kevin Crosier.

“It used to be a pheasant farm  called Switzkill Farm,”  he says. “We found an old survey map with that name in the main building.”

He said returning to the old name was decided only after a long process of collecting possible names from a marketing agency, as well as from almost 100 residents who came to an inaugural event at the site.

A $5,000 grant from Albany County underwrote a town contract with the Overit Marketing Agency in Albany to “brand” the 350-acre property, which was purchased by the town in 2014 from a Tibetan Buddhist group whose name for the place was Ongnyi Nyingjé Ling or Center for Wisdom and Compassion.  Overit, whose owners live in East Berne, was chosen to come up with a name, theme, and logo.

The town paid $475,000 in 2014  to acquire the land and the buildings on it, including two large buildings — one that served as a retreat house and another as a gathering place for the Buddhist group, known as The Lodge.  Grants, mostly from the Open Space Institute, and funding from Albany County provided all but $112,500 of that total cost. The remainder came out of the town’s capital projects fund.

Crosier said when a representative of the Open Space Institute came to the site for the first time and took in the view from its highest point, his only question was, “How much do you need?”

Crosier said the purchase has not been costly to town taxpayers. “We have reduced property taxes three years in a row.” he said.

The commercial potential of the land and buildings makes the site fall outside the category of “town park,”  he said. The town bought the site as an investment as well as to expand recreational opportunities for town residents., much as Guilderland did with its purchase of Western Turnpike Golf Course.

The site has been referred to as Game Farm Road — the name of the road that leads to it— since the town bought it.  But Crosier says another name was needed, both because of possible confusion with Catskill Game Farm (now Old Game Farm) and because the town wanted to be able to brand  the site as something new.

The name finally chosen is another road name. Switzkill is the name of the road — also known as Route 1 — off which Game Farm Road runs.

Crosier said that getting everyone to agree to a name was  “one of the hardest things I have had to do as supervisor.”  A committee appointed by the town board oversees the site.

Coming up with a theme, for marketing purposes, was the next step in the branding process. That issue was resolved at last week’s board meeting.

After Crosier read off a long list of possible themes and after some discussion, a consensus emerged. The board  liked “Escape to the Helderbergs.” But they also wanted Berne to be the place in the Helderbergs that’s singled out.

So Overit is now charged with developing a logo featuring the  name and theme: Switzkill Road Berne/Escape to the Helderbergs.

Crosier estimates the site brought in “about $5,000” in 2015.  The main source of revenue from Switzkill Farm, he believes, will be rental of the lodge for weddings, meetings, and conferences and from  guest-room rentals in the former retreat house. User-recreational fees for activities like cross-country skiing on the trails — discounted for residents — should also be a source of income, he said

Karen Schimmer, town board liaison with the Switzkill Farm committee, says the strategic vision for the site goes beyond its borders.

“The hope is it will bring economic development to the nearby hamlet as well,’’ she says, when  the site becomes a destination for people from outside the area, looking for places to eat or to buy supplies.

The sky’s the limit for one group that’s excited about Switzkill Farm. Friends of the Helderberg Observatory says that the site’s East Hill would be a perfect location for an observatory ot hopes to build there one day. Schimmer says the group already  gathers there for observation of events like the Perseid meteor showers, and has staged star-gazing parties for residents.

But she said an observatory at the site is not a done deal.

“They’re a very impressive group but as far as I know they have yet to work on getting funding….Working out an arrangement with them to make an observatory a reality is something that will take a lot of thought, planning, and consideration,” she said.

A plan to require persons entering the site after dusk to have a town-issued permit was approved by the board.

Schimmer also reported that a lot of progress has been made in restoring trails and installing trail-markers at the site.  She also told The Enterprise that a colorful outdoor fireplace used in Buddhist ceremonies by the previous owners will be preserved.

A harvest festival in the autumn is being planned, she told the board.

SummerFest ready to go

The board also heard from Schimmer that this year’s SummerFest promises to be one of the best in the  history of the popular community celebration that began in 2013, replacing the town’s discontinued Heritage Days.

This year’s edition is  scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 27, in the town park from noon until dusk. The rain date is the next day.

The free event will feature a 24-foot climbing wall, brought to the park by Climb Time; a presentation of raptor birds by wildlife rehabilitator Joyce Perry; a free on-the-spot caricature for anyone who wants one by caricaturist Phil Singer; plus five local bands playing throughout the event, a horseshoe tournament, and a car show.

The five bands are, in order of their appearance: A Bunch of Guy; Red Haired Strangers; Hawbuckees; Nite Train; and, from 7 to 8:15 p.m.,  the Hilltown Ramblers.

A musical jam session, with all invited to join, will take place after the fireworks display, which is again sponsored and paid for by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Fox Creek Market will offer its menu and a number of local organizations will  also be food vendors.

“It’s a true community celebration, “says Schimmer, “a great chance for friends and families to get together.”

Other business

In other business, the board:

— Heard that the construction of a boat ramp at Thompsons Lake will not begin until after Labor Day and the effective end of the boating season;

— Learned from Randy Bashwinger, town highway superintendent, of thefts from highway department facilities and from one work site (reported in last week’s Enterprise);

— Discussed buying and installing surveillance camera at the highway department, the town hall, and the transfer station “People like to leave little presents up there,” said Crosier;

— Enacted a Solar Energy System Moratorium Law that applies to ground-mounted and industrial installations only, and scheduled a public hearing for the renewal of a moratorium banning hydraulic fracking within the town boundaries. The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14 at 7:15 p.m.;

— Approved retroactively the one-month rental of a Badger excavator for $7,600.  

— Approved a request for bids  to construct a 60-foot by 80-foot salt storage shed, the bids to be received no later than August 30  and the work to be completed by October 31.  The town is  borrowing  $285,00 of  the $300,000 estimated cost, but will be reimbursed through an Albany County grant obtained by State Senator George Amedure.  Bid requirements are available at the town website.

— Approved the purchase of  two roll-off containers — one for deposit of large bulky items, the other for recyclables — at the town transfer station, at a cost of $9,165; amd

— Heard Crosier report that the big increase in visitors to the Thacher Park overlook shows, “People are coming back to this end of the county.”  He also mentioned grants received by Schoharie and Washington counties for promoting  “ruralness.” He said Switzkill Farm is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend.