Repairs put windmill’s vanes back in motion

The iconic windmill that sits south of the Highlands Ranch Mansion and north of Mountain Vista High School now has rotating metal vanes atop the cobblestone tower. Repairs were completed over Mother’s Day weekend nearly a year after a neighbor informed the Highlands Ranch Metro District that the superstructure of the windmill had toppled over following a thunderstorm. The repair process included an analysis of the structure, restoration of the original cobblestone tower and replacement of large wooden timbers and other elements of the windmill assembly, according to Jeff Case, director of public works of the Highlands Ranch Metro District. Douglas County contributed $75,000 of the project and the metro district paid the remaining $116,000, a metro district report said. The 100-year-old landmark is part of the original 250 acres of Highlands Ranch and is the site of a well that is now powered by electricity.