PROSPECTUS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF
ACCESSIBLE DISTRICT OFFICE FACILITIES
FENN RANGER STATION
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST
Prepared By: Kathleen P. Snodgrass
Facilities Architect
Date:
11/09/2000
Joe Hudson
Date:
11/13/2000
Date:
11/14/2000
Date:
11/14/2000
Approved By:
District Ranger
Approved By:
Michael J. Cook
Forest Engineer
Approved By:
Bruce E. Bernhardt
Forest Supervisor
Project Proposal
The proposed work consists of providing a 1700 to 1800 square foot accessible reception/conference/
visitor information/restroom/office facility for the combined Selway and Moose Creek Ranger
Districts on or near the existing Fenn Ranger Station compound, which is listed in the National
Register for Historic Places.
Existing Situation
Existing Conference Facilities
Presently, the former Fenn Cookhouse is used for all meetings or conferences involving more than
half a dozen people at the Fenn Ranger Station. This is a circa 1937 building with four steps between
the front door and the meeting space (formerly the dining room), which makes it inaccessible for
people with mobility impairments. The slope of the site and the historic character of the building
would make it extremely difficult to provide mobility accessibility to the meeting room. Further, there
are three steps down between the meeting room and the only restroom in the building, which is located
in what was originally the cook's sleeping quarters. The bathroom is small and could not be made
accessible without very major structural changes to the building. Adding a new accessible bathroom
elsewhere in the building would likewise severely affect the building's historic character. The
building currently is virtually intact, few of the materials have been changed, and no structural
changes have been made since the building was constructed, making it a truly valuable historic
resource.
Other available options for meeting areas include the Cedar Flats Dormitory, and the Cedar Flats
Carpenter Shop. Both buildings are about half a mile from the main ranger station offices, so holding
meetings there would likely involve vehicular travel, which is not desirable or convenient.
Both the Dormitory and the Carpenter Shop would require substantial renovation to accommodate use
as accessible meeting space, though not nearly as extensive as any of the historic buildings on the
main Ranger Station site. In addition, the displaced crew quarters and storage/shop functions of the
two buildings would need to be accommodated in new structures elsewhere, so there is little financial
savings involved in converting these existing buildings for accessible office and meeting room use.
Existing Restrooms
Currently, there are no accessible restrooms on the Fenn Ranger Station Compound. The restroom in
the main office, both subsidiary offices (originally warehouses), and the Fenn bunkhouse are all in
basements. Stairs are narrow and there are no elevators, except ancient freight elevators no longer
operable in the two subsidiary offices. Bathrooms in the two shop/warehouses and the bunkhouse at
Cedar Flats are all on main floors and could be made accessible relatively easily, but they are nearly
half a mile from the offices and visitor reception/information area. There is currently an accessible,
concrete vault toilet at the accessible fishing pond near the river across the road below the main office.
Existing Reception/Visitor Information
The existing reception/visitor information area consists of a 5 foot by 8 foot area just inside the front
door of the main office. This area also serves as the airlock entry for the building, although the
interior door normally is open to relieve some of the crowded feeling in the reception/info area. There
are pass-through counters from the visitor area to offices on each side. Especially during the
recreation season (May through October), this area frequently becomes congested and visitors spill out
into the offices as others try to enter the building. The Fenn Ranger Station is the portal for the
Selway River and Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Moose Creek portion), so it receives a lot of visitor
traffic. There is currently no interpretive space available at this important historical ranger station and
wilderness and river portal site.
The building is not accessible. The front entry is 4 steps up from the parking area, with the path of
travel being entirely over historic rockwork steps and sidewalk. The back entry is 4 steps down from
the parking area, and the reception area is another 8 steps down from the back entry, all over original
rockwork steps and landing, and original varnished wood flooring and steps. Bathrooms are one floor
down from the entry, in the basement. It would be impossible to make the present reception/visitor
information area accessible without seriously compromising the historic integrity of the building.
Other buildings on the compound might be modified to contain accessible visitor accommodations,
but are not easily recognized as an important building, so extensive signing would have to be
employed to direct visitors to the appropriate building. Parking would have to be constructed at any of
the other existing buildings, and they are otherwise inconvenient or unsuitable for reasons stated in
other sections.
Existing Offices
There are presently no accessible office spaces at the Fenn Ranger Station. In the main District
Office, there are 4 offices on the front entry level, but all other offices are one or two stair flights up.
Bathrooms are in the basement, and there is no place to install an elevator without seriously
compromising the historic integrity of the building.
Offices in the two former Fenn warehouses are elevated from ground level. The front doors are two
original stonework steps up, plus 4 interior steps above the entry. The back doors are 5 steps above
the parking area. It would be practical to install a ramp to the back door of the warehouse offices,
although it would not be desirable from a heritage resource standpoint. We could probably get SHPO
concurrence to do so, however, because the back porches were constructed at least 10 years after
construction of the buildings. Since the current restrooms are in the basements, accessible restrooms
would also have to be constructed on the main floors of these buildings, further compromising the
buildings' historic integrity. The long term site development plans for the Ranger Station include
modifying these two buildings to provide accessible office space as funding permits.
It would be possible to subdivide part of one of the existing shop/warehouses at Cedar Flat into
accessible office space, and modify the restrooms to accommodate people with mobility impairments.
That would have the effect of segregating people with disabilities, however, since Cedar Flats is about
half a mile from the main office area. It would also reduce the available warehouse space in the
building, which would have to be replaced at another location, probably with a new building.
Options Considered During Preliminary Project Analysis
Renovate Existing Main Office and Cookhouse
This option was discarded because it would not be possible to accomplish the necessary renovations
without destroying the historic character of the buildings.
Renovate Existing Subsidiary Fenn Office(s)
This option is not desirable due to the difficulty of directing visitors away from the current main
building to these obscure locations.
Renovate Existing Shop/Warehouses or Bunkhouse at Cedar Flats
This option is not desirable due to the nearly half mile distance between the current offices and the
Cedar Flats site, and the difficulty of directing visitors away from the current main building to Cedar
Flats.
Lease or Purchase Space Off-Site
This option was discarded because no office/reception space is available within 30 miles of this site,
which is a remote location surrounded by National Forest land.
Construct New Building On-Site
This option is the most advantageous. However, it will require relocation of the current pack stock
feeding and holding corral.
Site Conditions
The Fenn Ranger Station is approximately 1530 feet above sea level. The climate is temperate.
Summer high temperatures are in the high 90s (only infrequently past 100), with nighttime
temperatures 30 degrees cooler. Winter lows may be 20 below zero, with lows of 10 below expected
each year. Average annual precipitation is about 37 inches, mostly in the form of rain and snow
falling between mid November and late June. Winter snow accumulations seldom exceed 36", and
don't exceed 16" most years. Spring tends to be rather wet, as evidenced by the cedar trees and sword
ferns abundant on the site, although weather varies substantially from year to year. Summer
precipitation is generally light and usually accompanied by thunderstorms.
The Fenn Ranger Station is sited on a moderately steep hill that has been heavily modified to
accommodate the buildings, lawns, and parking areas of the Ranger Station. The station, and
especially the Ranger's Office, overlooks a vast lawn that slopes down to the County Road and Selway
River beyond. The siting of the Station has been determined to contribute significantly to the historic
character that prompted its listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The area proposed for
the new building is currently used as a pack stock holding and feeding corral. It is just upstream
(southeast) from the main office, between an existing barn and the county road, and just outside the
area considered to be the main portion of the historic compound. The soil on the compound is
generally granular, with a layer of sandy loam topsoil over sand and gravel subsoils. Bedrock in the
area is generally more than 10 feet below the natural ground, but it is difficult to determine natural
ground lines in the area, since it has been so extensively modified. Bedrock is well below all current
office basements.
The new building will be served by the existing Forest Service water and sewer systems (although it
will require a new sewer lift station), and commercial electric power and telephone, all via
underground lines. The new building will also need to be served by computer cabling connecting it to
the Station system.
Site Accessibility Considerations
The site development plan for the Fenn Ranger Station includes renovations to the east and west
offices, the Cedar Flats Dorm, and the Cedar Flats Residence to improve accessibility. As funding
permits, the back porches of the two offices (which are not original to the buildings) will each be
provided with a ramp and an accessible restroom will be installed on the main floor of each building.
Plans are on file for renovating both the Cedar Flat Dorm and the Cedar Flat Residence for full
mobility accessibility. This work will also be accomplished as funding permits or as need for
accessible space requires.
Stock Facility Considerations
The site development plan for the Fenn Ranger Station includes construction of an armored pack stock
holding and feeding corral and a post and pole hay storage barn between the existing barn and the
mobile home area. The armored corral, at least, will have to be constructed before construction of the
new office can begin, as it will be needed to replace the current corral, which is the site for the new
building. The existing corral is also a significant contributor to pollution of the adjacent creek and the
accessible public fishing pond it feeds, as well as, ultimately, the Selway River. The Selway River is a
stronghold sub-basin for the threatened steelhead trout. The corral project will be submitted for
consideration in the Nez Perce NF 2001 Program of Work. The planned 800 s.f. hay barn is needed
because there is currently inadequate covered hay storage on the site to support the wilderness stock
requirements. Currently, hay is stored in various remote locations or stacked outside and subject to
spoilage.
Financial Considerations
Planned Funding
This project is planned for complete funding by the Region's Capital Investment program. Budget
cost estimates for the renovation and addition are as follows:
Design:
Building Construction:
Earthwork:
Utilities:
Vehicle Access/Parking:
Pedestrian Access:
Landscaping:
Contingency and Construction Engineering:
TOTAL COSTS:
14,250
199,225
16,300
15,100
35,000
3,400
9,800
14,750
$295,000
Preconstruction Engineering
Some preconstruction work has already been completed. Conceptual building and site work for a
smaller facility (prior to the administrative combination of the two Districts) was completed in 1992
by Mr. John Mack Roberts of Washington State University. The District prefers that the new building
be designed with a site plan similar to Mr. Roberts' Concept "E", building plan similar to Concept "D"
but with conference and office space added, and exterior appearance of the building similar to Concept
"H", with dormers used to provide natural lighting to the building interior. These concept drawings
are included as Appendix "A".
In 1996, Mr. Jack Jackson, AIA, Eastsound, WA, spent two weeks as a volunteer at the Ranger Station
and completed a preliminary building design with which the District was very pleased. Some
reconciliations and adjustments still need to be made in the site layout. These drawings are included
as Appendix "B".
Planning and design for this project will necessarily involve extensive coordination with the Moose
Creek Ranger District staff, and may involve significant coordination with the Idaho SHPO, as well.
Design of all phases of this project is the responsibility of the Regional Office. It is not yet clear
whether they will be able to utilize Mr. Jackson to do the contract drawings and specifications, do the
design in-house, hire a consultant or consultants to do all or part of the design, and/or fund and utilize
design personnel available at the Nez Perce Supervisor's Office.
Construction
Construction engineering and contract administration will be handled by the Nez Perce National
Forest Engineering and Contracting Section.
Design Requirements
General Requirements
It is the desire of the District to obtain an accessible facility that is cost effective, convenient, and
attractive, but that does not detract from the historic character of the existing Fenn Ranger Station.
The exterior of the new facility should blend with the existing buildings, but be clearly distinguishable
from them. Materials, massing, and roof pitch should be similar to those of existing buildings. The
new facility should be easily distinguishable as the portal building, by use of vehicular access that
leads visitors to the new building, parking, signing, flagpole, and/or other distinguishing
characteristics.
The new building should be energy efficient. Heating and cooling should both be provided.
Emerging building methods or materials such as structural insulated panels (SIPs) or stay-in-place
polystyrene concrete forms that would increase energy efficiency should be considered. As a
minimum, the building should meet ASHRAE Standard 90 and be certified by the Architect/Engineer
to comply with 10 CFR Part 435. The view to the south over the river is outstanding. Windows that
take advantage of the view should be provided. At least two frost-resistant exterior hose bibs and two
GFCI exterior duplex outlets with weather-resistant covers should be provided as part of the project;
one outlet and one hose bib each on opposite sides.
Conference Room
The conference area should consist of about 750 to 800 square feet of meeting space that is accessible
from the office/reception area via an interior door. The access to the conference space from the
reception area should be inviting, as the conference rooms will likely be used for additional
interpretive display when meetings are not in progress. The meeting space should be divisible via a
folding partition into two spaces containing approximately 300 S.F. and 450 to 500 S.F. of floor space.
If the entire meeting area is served by only one interior door, it should open into the smaller sub-space.
The conference area should have one accessible exterior door for emergency use, and so the
conference room can be used for evening meetings while still providing security for the office area.
The exterior door should have a porch light and should be located so that a pick-up can back to within
a few feet of the door to load materials and supplies. Each sub-space should have electrical outlets
and telephone and computer jacks, preferably two of each per sub-space in the floor. Other electrical
outlets should be located along the walls. One wall phone jack should be located near the interior
door.
Flooring should be durable carpeting that minimizes visibility of tracked-in soil. Walls and ceiling
should be off-white painted drywall. Except behind the coffee bar or where windows or doors are
located, a tackable surface should be provided around the entire perimeter of the conference area. It
should be four feet high, with the bottom about three feet above the floor. It should have a textured
vinyl surface laminated to 1/4 inch thick dense cork, similar to Claridge's "Fabricork Bulletin Board
1500", Carolina's "Plasti-cork Tackboard 1900", Greensteel's "Vinyl Tac-Tex Type 5", or Lemco's
"Vinyl Covered Cork No.330".
Fluorescent lighting providing at least 50 foot candles of illumination 2.5 feet above the floor is
preferred. Lighting should be switched separately for each of the two sub-spaces, with a 3-way switch
for each by the interior entrance and by the exterior door. Natural illumination should be provided in
each sub area but views to the exterior are not necessary. Glazing should be sufficient to provide at
least 10 footcandles of general illumination on a cloudy day to all parts of each sub space. Windows
or skylight dormers should have coverings that can be closed to block exterior illumination
sufficiently that projection equipment can be used effectively.
A storage closet for folding chairs and audio-visual equipment should be provided. The interior
dimensions of the closet should be 8 feet long x 2 feet deep. A shelf at least 18" deep should be
provided 4'6" above the floor for the full length of the closet to hold projectors and other relatively
heavy AV equipment. Folding doors should be provided to allow full access to the space. 5 folding
tables 8' long by 30" wide will be used in the conference room part of the time. A section of wall with
no heaters or other obstructions at least 9' in length and 3' high should be provided so that the tables
can be stacked on their sides against the wall when not in use. A table rail or wainscot in that section
would be desirable to limit marring of the wall.
A coffee bar should be provided in the smaller sub-space. It should have a single basin sink with a
light above it, about eight feet of base cabinet and counter space, and at least five feet of wall cabinet
space. If located more than 30 feet from the restroom water heater, it should be served by its own
small water heater. The light above the sink should be switched within 2 feet of the sink. Two
electrical GFCI outlets should be located in the wall above the counter top. Knee space should be
provided under the sink so the sink is accessible to seated people. The switch for the sink light and at
least one of the outlets should be located where they can be reached by a seated person. Two switched
outlets for commercial beverage or snack dispensing machines should be provided adjacent to the
coffee bar. The switches should be located where they will be convenient to turn the dispensing
machines off during meetings. Separate circuits should be provided for each dispensing machine and
for the microwave outlet.
HVAC and Electrical System
Heating and cooling must both be provided for the new building. A system that would permit air
conditioning and heating to run concurrently in the same room is not desirable. No piped gas is
available at the site. Electricity or propane are the preferred energy sources. Electric power failures
are frequent at the site.
Rest Rooms
Two accessible restrooms must be provided, one for women and one for men. Each should have a
water closet, lavatory, towel dispenser, mirror above the lavatory, a GFCI outlet near the lavatory, and
storage for towels, soap, toilet paper and miscellaneous supplies. Each must meet Americans with
Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines and Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, including
those for door signage. Light fixtures above the sink that provide at least 30 footcandles of general
illumination in a spectrum similar to natural daylight are preferred. The most desirable location for
the restrooms is adjacent to the main entrance and conference room, in a location that would permit
their use after normal office hours by people using the conference room, interpretive displays, or
accessible fishing area, without compromising security for the rest of the office. A deep sink for
janitorial use should be provided in a janitor/mechanical room.
The sewage lift station should incorporate enough storage capacity that the toilets in the building can
continue in use should there be a power outage lasting up to eight hours.
Accessible Entryway and Reception/Interpretive Area
The main entry to the office/conference building must be accessible to everybody. The preferred
location for the main entry is central to the conference room, reception/interpretive area, and
restrooms.
The entry should meet ADAAG and UFAS standards, be energy efficient, and be designed so that
people looking at the outside of the building can tell it is the main entry.
The reception area for the office/conference building must be designed to serve all visitors and
employees. It should include at least eight linear feet of reception/storage counter no more than 40
inches high. At least three linear feet of counter should be lower to accommodate seated visitors and
employees. The counter should incorporate desk space approximately 4 feet wide by 2 feet deep for a
part time receptionist. The rest of the area under the counter should be configured for storage. The
counter should have about 100 footcandles of illumination at its surface. The reception area must be
visible from and adjacent to the main building entry. It is desirable that people working in the
reception area be able to observe the inside entry to the conference room. The reception area should
include about 60 square feet of office area behind the reception counter. The preferred illumination
for the office area is fluorescent lighting providing 30 footcandles of general illumination 32 inches
above the floor and 100 footcandles of illumination on the surface of each desk. A waiting area of
about 60 square feet should be provided near the reception counter. It must accommodate two chairs,
a small table, space for interaction with visitors, and a built-in literature display area about 5' high by
4' wide by 18" deep with adjustable display brackets (similar to the display brackets on the rack in the
Nez Perce Supervisor's Office). Minimum illumination of the waiting area at about three feet above
the floor should be 30 footcandles. Minimum illumination of the literature display area should be 70
footcandles on the surface. An accessible water fountain should be provided near the waiting area.
An interpretive display area with storage of about 200 S.F. must be provided near the reception area.
It is desirable that visitor information and interpretive displays be available to the public regardless of
whether the reception desk is staffed, so the office and reception area must be securable separately
from this area. Consider storage cases recessed into the wall and incorporating display space.
In addition, exterior interpretive space of around 500 s.f. should be provided. Consider a large,
covered front porch to provide at least part of this space.
Offices
Accessible room(s) of approximately 500 S.F. must be provided for general office purposes. No
individual room should be less than 120 S.F. A single open office area is acceptable, but it must be
separated from all other building functions by walls/doors. Substantial space for filing cabinets will
be necessary. Minimum natural illumination of 10 footcandles of general illumination on a cloudy
day should be provided to the entire office(s). Operable windows or skylights are preferable. The
preferred illumination for the office area is fluorescent lighting providing 30 footcandles of general
illumination 32 inches above the floor and 100 footcandles of illumination on the surface of each desk.
Four each computer and telephone jacks should be provided for the office space, along with duplex
outlets along the walls maximum 6' apart. Flooring should be durable carpeting that minimizes
visibility of tracked-in soil. Walls and ceiling should be off-white painted drywall.
Landscaping and Site Work
Accessible parking conforming to ADAAG and UFAS standards for at least two vehicles must be
provided as part of this project, as well as parking for 6 other standard size vehicles and two oversize
vehicle combinations up to 45 feet long. Accessible parking should be as near the entry as practical.
A pedestrian way must be provided from all parking spaces to the main entry. That portion of the
pedestrian way serving the accessible parking spaces must be an accessible route meeting ADAAG
and UFAS standards. The effect of winter weather on the route's accessibility must be considered.
Appropriate landscaping should be included as part of this project, including relocation of the flagpole
and district office sign, if need be. The site plan concept "E" included as part of Appendix "A"
illustrates the approximate extent of existing asphalt drive removal, new paved access drive
construction, pedestrian access ways, and site earthwork contemplated as part of this project. It is
intended that all disturbed areas be replanted either with lawn, shrubs, or trees. Removal of existing
asphalt drives could be accomplished with Forest Service personnel.
There must be convenient pedestrian access from the new building to the existing offices and to the
"talking wall" interpretive area within the present historic ranger station compound. The existing
helispot on the historic compound front lawn should be removed as part of this project.
The attached site development plan shows the proposed building location, other proposed site
modifications, existing utilities, ground contours, structures, and vegetation.