Now that it’s adopted, a plan to reinvent Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park needs to be kept on the front burner, community members and city officials said.
Tuesday night, members of the City Council unanimously approved an ambitious masterplan meant to guide redevelopment of the 28.5-acre, waterfront park for years to come. Most notably, the plan calls for the construction of a splash park, the relocation of the windmill to a new entrance on Beeksma Drive, improvements to the lagoon and consolidation of open space.
Under the plan, the RV park on Beeksma Drive won’t be reconstructed; the park was closed during the while the sewage treatment plant is being built. The ballfields will be turned into a multi-use lawn only after replacement fields have been built elsewhere in the city.
Construction of the the new sewage treatment plant — being built partially into the park — provided the city with the opportunity to created a plan for the park.
City staff and consultants worked with a citizens group and gathered citizen input through a survey and open houses to shape the proposal.
The work in different areas of the park in phased in under the plan, but city Development Director Steve Powers explained that the timing and details of the concept are flexible.
Councilman Jim Campbell said he would like to see the RV park remain, but he said he wouldn’t vote against the plan just because it was taken out.
Councilman Danny Paggao explained that restaurant owner Scott Fraser, of Frasers Gourmet Hideway, proposed adding a sandy beach to the plan.
One thing that everyone at the meeting seemed to agree on is the importance of keeping the momentum going on the plan. The city has a history of creating redevelopment plans that are never implemented.
“We heard loud and clear from a few of the members, ‘Don’t let this be one of those efforts that never sees the light of day and instead collects dust of the shelf,’” Powers said, referring to members of the Citizen Advisory Group.
Councilman Rick Almberg also emphasized the need to keep focused on the plan.
“We have four years to make a 40-year impact that really important,” he said.
Councilman Joel Servatius noted that the plan includes the option of building a community room in the park. He said the community room should be kept in mind during the upcoming budget process.
Councilwoman Beth Munns said she agrees, but that it might be better sited just outside the park on the east side.
“Do I love everything about the plan? I don’t,” Councilwoman Tara Hizon said. “But what I do love is the fact that it’s the community that is presenting these concepts to us.”
