The city of Oak Harbor will soon be seeking community input on proposed capital improvements to Windjammer Park.

Public Information Officer Sabrina Combs shared the staff’s public outreach plan with the council during a workshop meeting Feb. 23. The main component of the plan is a survey in which city residents and other park visitors can rank proposed improvements in order of personal preference.

One improvement on the table is the construction of a replacement windmill, an idea that has received public support in the past.

Other potential projects include the addition of an off-leash dog park, installation of a large playground, replacement of existing little league baseball diamonds with a lawn and shoreline enhancements, among others.

Each survey item will include the project’s estimated duration and cost, including any regular maintenance and operation costs. Combs said the city does not have the funds to complete every project, which is why staff members want to know residents’ top priorities for the park.

According to the outreach plan’s current timeline, the survey will become publicly available in April. Open houses providing more information about the projects will also take place next month.

Combs said the city plans to dispense a variety of outreach materials, such as postcards, social media posts and inserts in city residents’ March utility bills, directing folks to the survey and informing them of the dates and times of the open house events.

An ad hoc community focus group will assemble this month to provide the city with feedback on the draft outreach materials.

Council members also shared their thoughts on the outreach plan during the workshop meeting. Councilmember Tara Hizon and Mayor Pro Tem Beth Munns both acknowledged the value of feedback community members gave to the city when Windjammer Park was first designed, beginning in 2016.

“The public essentially designed the park and told us what they wanted, and so much good feedback came from this,” Hizon said. “I have every confidence that a second round of community feedback will just continue to improve the park and make it everything that we want it to be.”

Hizon suggested that the construction of additional restroom facilities be included for consideration along with the other projects.

“We need additional restrooms,” she said. “Accessibility is so important in a space that big with opportunities for lots of big events and large gatherings.”

Councilmember Bryan Stucky urged staff to commit to making good on the feedback they receive in the survey. He said the city has not always done this in the past, apparently referring to the controversial “Angel de la Creatividad” sculpture, a gift the council voted to accept despite negative public survey responses.

“We put the survey out, we’ve got to be ready to abide by what the people say, or have a really good reason why we’re not,” he said.

City staff will design an implementation plan based on community feedback this summer.