NEWRY – At Wednesday night’s meeting, planners were advised of two proposed Sunday River Ski Resort projects involving a ski patrol cabin and creation of a new ski trail.

In both instances, board Chairman Joseph Aloisio Jr., an engineer at the resort, recused himself to present the plan.

Regarding the cabin site plan application, Aloisio said the resort has been refurbishing its patrol shacks into patrol cabins.

“We’re proposing to take what is now a cubbyhole under a ski lift and move it out onto the edge of slopes at the top of White Heat (trail),” he said.

“It’s used by ski patrollers to stay warm in.”

Alosio said the building will be 16- by 24-feet. It will not have electricity like one atop Barker Mountain. Instead, resort officials are researching possibly installing a solar photovoltaic cell to heat the cabin. Propane-based heat has been provided in the past.

When questioned by planner Pat Roma about visibility, Aloisio said the cabin would not be placed atop the ridge, but rather 300 feet below the peak. The building will not have a reflective roof and be tucked into the smattering of tree growth there.

The application was assigned a number and work will get under way on it at the board’s next meeting in two weeks.

Regarding the new ski trail on North Peak, Aloisio sought a preapplication conference with planners to determine how to proceed.

“We’re proposing to develop a new ski trail in conjunction with the new ski lift from the top of the new lift down into Aurora Basin. There is a concern that Paradigm (trail) with the new lift will get inundated with skiers. Paradigm is a very steep section of green trail and this new one would be parallel to it,” Aloisio said.

Roma, however, told Aloisio that he didn’t think the proposed ski trail was something that falls under board review.

“We can treat it as an issue, but we do not need to be concerned with it. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection reviews this,” Roma said.

He motioned that the board didn’t need to review the project, which was unanimously approved with no discussion.


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