Designs are ready. Next up: the contractors.

The U.S. Forest Service completed designs at the end of August for a new and
renovated complex at the Zigzag Ranger Station, including a visitor’s center
and consolidating staff from offices both sides of Hwy. 26, according to
District Ranger Bill Westbrook. Construction is expected to begin sometime
next summer.

“Everybody’s really upbeat about the move and consolidating into one office,”
Westbrook said. “It’s been talked about for a number of years and finally
having things starting to work out ... has everybody excited.”

The project includes gutting the existing office at 70220 Highway 26 in
Zigzag, renovating the inside and constructing two new wings (one on each
end) to be used for office space. At the front of the one-story building will be
a new visitor’s center. The entire building is expected to be less than 10,000
square feet.

Westbrook noted the USFS has received proposals from contractors and are
currently reviewing them. Westbrook could not offer a timetable for choosing
a contractor, while saying the project will be more than $1 million.

Staff at the location has begun sorting through papers in preparation for the
closure of the building, which is expected to last approximately one year.
Westbrook noted many employees will work off site, including Estacada and
Sandy, during construction.

The visitor’s center will move to the “history house,” a small cabin on the west
side of the complex. The center will have limited services and may not be
open on weekends during construction, while the Hunchback Mountain trail
will remain open (hikers will need to access it from behind the construction
site).

When the new visitor’s center opens, it is expected to include outdoor
bathrooms and Westbrook hopes to offer services seven days a week.
Even with the new visitor’s center on the horizon, the limited services during
construction concerns Sandra Palmer, owner of the Wy’East Book Shoppe who
offered visitor services there for more than two years.

“Not having any services on the weekend at Zigzag is not OK,” Palmer said.
“My biggest concern doesn’t have to do with the facility, it has to do with the
fact that during this time during the remodel, they will not be open on
weekends.”

Coni Scott, owner of Hidden Woods Bed & Breakfast, urged the community to
be “forgiving” of the inconveniences during the construction, while viewing the
outcome as a win for the Mountain.

“When we’re all done, this is going to be a great improvement for visitor
information,” Scott said. “In my opinion ... they will work hard to meet the
visitor needs of our area (during construction).”