The Town of Edgewood Commission voted to send a letter urging the U.S. Forest Service to preserve the historic Sandia Crest House rather than demolish it.
The commission voted 4-1 with one abstention to approve the letter to District Ranger Ken Born of the Sandia Ranger District after Mayor Kenneth Brennan advocated for preserving the landmark that has served visitors since the 1950s.
“It has historical value for the people that have been out here for a long time,” Brennan said during the Sept. 9 meeting. “The town has made a kind of history of wanting to preserve the history and the older structures and trying to fix them up and make them usable.”
The Forest Service announced in August it was seeking public comment on plans to demolish the Crest House along with other recreation facilities in the Sandia Ranger District, citing health and safety concerns and agency permit requirements.
Brennan said he has spoken with families who have visited the site since the 1960s and 1970s, and many were “shocked” to learn of the demolition plans. The mayor noted that while the Forest Service owns the land, the building itself is privately owned and currently for sale for more than $500,000.
“People have been telling me they’ve been learning that people go up there and they were surprised to find it’s closed, because they didn’t go up there during COVID,” Brennan said. “If it gets reopened, if they could do something and they advertise that it’s opening, I’m willing to bet there’s gonna be a lot more people starting to go up there again.”
The original Crest House was built in the 1950s and rebuilt in the 1960s, with additions made over the years. It previously housed a gift shop and restaurant that served as a destination for visitors to the Sandia Mountains, according to Brennan.
Brennan said he had spoken with Forest Service officials who indicated they have received numerous calls from the public supporting preservation of the building. The agency is still considering its options after accepting public input.
The town’s letter emphasizes the facility’s role as “a cherished destination for the residents of Edgewood and the broader Central New Mexico region” and argues that its loss would represent “the erasure of a cultural landmark.”
“With thoughtful work and creative vision, the Sandia Crest House could once again become a vibrant hub,” the letter states, suggesting uses as a restaurant, visitor center, retreat, educational space or gateway to outdoor experiences.
The Forest Service’s public comment period for the demolition proposal ended Sept. 8.
