Sitting across from Carbondale’s post office is a familiar brown building with yellow trim. The Aspen-Sopris Ranger District office was built in 1939 to serve as a residence, rather than a visitor center with offices. Touring the building, it’s clear that the space is creatively utilized to make the most of its design, with uniforms in the attic, desks tucked wherever they fit and a maze of filing cabinets and narrow hallways. It’s Carbondale-quirky, but the Forest Service is ready to start fresh.
In January 2020, the public was invited to an open house where designs were shown for a single-level, ADA-accessible building with a reconfigured parking lot. Because it’s federal property, the project is exempt from the town’s code and other public processes. However, District Ranger Kevin Warner assured The Sopris Sun that careful thought was put into fitting in with other buildings on Main Street.
“Originally, this building here, from the office back, was the ranger’s residence,” said Warner. He pointed out arched doorways and an old fireplace covered by a bookshelf. “It was never intended to be an office space.” What’s now referred to as “the engineering building” outside was the ranger’s office, and later became a warehouse.
All three of the current buildings are set to be demolished: the primary visitor center and offices, the engineering building and a shed. These buildings were determined not to be historically significant by the state Historic Preservation Office. “I recognize and appreciate that some people like the look,” said Warner. However, “older buildings are really expensive to maintain.”
A new, lower-maintenance building will be more efficient, though not net-zero. “This building is not energy efficient at all,” said Warner. “The old boiler downstairs is limping along…”
The new design sets the primary entrance closer to Weant and Main Street, with a semi-outdoors covered area hosting interpretative displays. A road will enter off Main Street closer to the pool and connect with Weant Boulevard so that RVs and other large vehicles are able to drive straight through without having to turn around.
With a larger conference room, the office will be better suited to host events and staff meetings. Warner informed The Sopris Sun that his full district meetings currently occur at the library, fire station or town hall, because not all of the employees fit in the conference room at the current site. The new building will also include a break room.
If everything goes as planned, Warner said, “we’re hoping we’ll be able to start the beginning of the redevelopment plan in November of 2023.” A temporary office has not yet been determined. With visitor information available in Glenwood Springs and Aspen, online services and local vendors, this may be foregone for the 2024 season.
Perhaps ironically, the plans include removing seven established trees from the property. Based on public feedback, the Forest Service will attempt to preserve a large spruce on the corner of Weant and Main popularly decorated as Carbondale’s Christmas tree. However, during a Tree Board meeting on May 18, doubts were cast on the practicality of saving that tree.
“When they start cutting for utilities … that tree will not stand,” said JoAnne Teeple. “I will give you the analogy of someone putting their elderly relatives into a nursing home and never going to visit them and watching them die a slow, painful death where that tree should be honored and taken out of its misery so we don’t watch it fail. It will not survive any construction…” whereas two smaller spruce trees could potentially be saved. The tree board also identified two mature maple trees in the public right of way which they will attempt to save.
“I was impressed at the level of outreach that they went through with the community to get to the project they have,” said Public Works Director Kevin Schorzman. “Particularly since, as a federal agency, they were not required to do any of it.” Schorzman also pointed out that the landscaping will use less water.
In 2005, Congress gave the Forest Service authority to sell, lease or exchange excess administrative sites and use the proceeds toward acquiring, maintaining and enhancing other properties. With $4 million from national funds, plus another $1 million or so from local sales, the White River National Forest is eager to get this project underway. Timing it with the demolition of the town pool could be advantageous for both projects, though an entire block of Main Street could be under construction through 2024.
This summer season, the Carbondale office will be open from 8am to noon and 1 to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. For more information about the White River National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver