Decisions Needed

Topics considered and researched through the winter included:

Pier design

The pier design is really the most important factor, since the point of the observatory is the permanently-mounted and aligned pier. The structure is just protection to allow the mount to be left set up.
Pier height? A little more height than tripod-height would be nice — to get back a bit of the horizon lost to the high hedge. (For purposes of being able to reach the gear, make up for the extra pier height with a deck around the pier.)
Pure concrete pier or manufactured steel mounted in a concrete footing?
Need to initiate purchase if steel & seek cheap shipment opportunities.
Also affects choice of pier-to-head mounting adaptor.

Dome, roll-off roof, or something else?
Storage space vs structure size?
Weatherproofing for our severe climate. It would be nice, but not essential, to be able to use the observatory in the winter. This means snow clearances for doors etc. Even if it shuts down for the winter, it needs at least sufficient weatherproofing to protect the interior from moisture (and animals).