Sedona HPC approves exterior renovations for Ranger Station house and barn

The City of Sedona Historic Preservation Commission on Aug. 11 approved Certificate of Appropriateness CA25-00002 to permit a set of exterior renovations at the Ranger Station House and the adjacent barn at 250 Ranger Road, both city landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The commission adopted the staff report as its findings and approved five exterior items for the house and four for the barn that the city says are necessary to meet building code, ADA requirements and to support planned interior renovations. The changes include installing an exterior condenser for climate control; replacing deteriorated patio decking; adding and relocating exterior lighting and emergency illumination; extending and modifying the handrail to meet code; and installing an ADA-compliant concrete sidewalk connection at the bottom of the existing ramp. For the barn, planned work includes installing a metal louver for an exhaust system, widening a west-side door to 36 inches, extending sidewalk work for ADA access and adding exterior lighting.

Assistant Director of Public Works and Assistant City Engineer Sandy Phillips presented the request, noting it was intended to clear exterior approvals so the city can "start construction on the interior renovation of the house and barn." Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Larry Farhad described the barn project as a "labor of love" and noted the team recently won a state and national award from the American Public Works Association for the restoration work.

Commission discussion focused on compatibility and code compliance. Commissioners asked about locations for the condenser and exhaust louvers, materials and finishes for the replacement decking and railings, and the orientation of the ramp and new sidewalk connection. Phillips said the condenser will sit just beyond the cistern and that louvers for the barn exhaust will be above the slit indicated in the presentation; she said interior finishes would be returned to a natural pine look consistent with the house's historic appearance. On railing material, staff said the plan is to retain existing round steel posts and extend them, then paint to match historic white.

Commissioner Stupak said the changes were necessary to make the structures usable and to preserve their historic integrity: "we've gotta make them usable. And if these are the measures we need to take to make them usable and maintain the historic integrity, then ... my opinion is we should go ahead with it." After a public forum with no public speakers, a motion to approve case CA25-00002 (adopting the staff report as findings) passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The packet presented to the commission lists the property as APN 4-01-38-013D, on about 3.4 acres east of Brewer Road and south of Ranger Road. Staff told the commission they plan future presentations on roof replacement options when the current asphalt shingles reach end of life, and that a permanent restroom for the park remains in the city's work plan though its timeline will depend on bidding and budget decisions. Phillips said restroom infrastructure is already in place and the city expects to revisit a restroom design and procurement in the coming fiscal year.

Commissioners agreed to continue work on other preservation priorities, including survey updates and planning for Historic Preservation Month events. The commission adjourned after confirming those follow-up items.