Fundraiser launched to rebuild Windjammer windmill; volunteers, new design aim to add rental revenue

Speaker 5 said the parks group is starting a fundraising push to rebuild the Windjammer windmill and will host a kickoff "Bridal night at Flyers" at 5 p.m. Friday to raise seed money. The proposed replacement would move closer to the farmers market to take advantage of existing power service and avoid shoreline-management constraints, Speaker 5 said.

"We widened the base so that we could put a bathroom inside the unit," Speaker 5 said, describing revisions to the original plans intended to make the structure more useful for events and rentals. The board discussed a second-floor deck and a bridal courtyard with donor bricks to generate rental income that could offset maintenance costs.

Speaker 5 said volunteers and local businesses are already stepping up; the transcript identifies volunteer lead Ryan Wallen of P&L as having taken responsibility for coordinating construction support. Board members said the new location would be more visible from Pioneer Way and closer to an existing pedestrian path, which would reduce the amount of new ADA pathway construction required.

The windmill design retains the recognizable octagonal tower shape but enlarges each octagonal section by about six feet to create more usable interior space, Speaker 5 said. Board members emphasized that the project remains a community effort: fundraising events, donor bricks and donated labor are key elements of the plan.

Next steps: the parks staff and volunteer leads will continue site evaluation with utility and shoreline considerations, and the board will discuss the project further at its next meeting; no formal funding appropriation or permit decisions were recorded in the workshop.