MI Weekly

    A weekly update from the City of Mercer Island


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(For event details, visit the City's online calendar or click on a specific event)

MAYOR
Bruce Bassett
 
DEPUTY MAYOR 

Dan Grausz 

 

COUNCILMEMBERS 

Debbie Bertlin

City of Mercer Island Website

Volunteer Opportunities 

Address
9611 SE 36th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040

Phone
206.275.7600


Fax
206.275.7663


Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30am to 5:00pm


Donations Requested 

The Mercer Island Food Pantry relies on your non-perishable food donations to keep the shelves stocked year-round.
Click for more info.
Feb 25, 2015 | Vol. 10 | No. 8
Town_CenterApplicants Sought for Town Center Visioning Stakeholders Group
Example sketch from preliminary visioning presentation; click to learn more
In 1994, a year-long process culminated in a set of design guidelines and code requirements for the Town Center area. As the commercial district fills in and becomes more vibrant, the City Council has identified a need to revisit the evolving look and feel of Town Center to ensure that it meets the community's needs well into the future, and that appropriate plans are made for the opening of light rail in 2023.

At this week's Council Meeting (February 23), the Council approved the Community Engagement Process (click for timeline graphic) for the Town Center Development Code Update and adopted the Town Center Community Engagement Strategy to actively seek community input and encourage a collaborative working environment during the Town Center Development Code revision process.

A key component of the Engagement Strategy is the formation of a Town Center Stakeholders Group which will be comprised of approximately 40 members representing a broad cross section of Island residents.  In addition to the general public, its members will be drawn from community groups and will also include persons (residents and non-residents) who are directly involved in Town Center businesses and development. 

Members will be selected by City staff and the City Council Town Center Committee (Councilmembers Brahm, Grausz, and Wong) with input from other members of the Town Center Liaison Group to the extent feasible.

Download a Stakeholders Group application, or contact Alison Van Gorp, Development Services Group Administrative Services Manager at (206) 275-7733 or [email protected]. Applications are due by 5:00pm March 3, at City Hall.
 CovalCoval Property Demolition Begins
A photo depicting extensive interior salvaging;
 click to read Council's final Coval decision.
Many residents will recall a great deal of community interest in the proposed development plans for the Coval property on 84th Avenue Southeast. On 21 July 2014, the City Council ultimately approved the preliminary subdivision after carefully reviewing the project, especially tree removal and retention plans, geotechnical issues, slope concerns, and after considering significant community input.

Since then, City staff has strongly encouraged extensive salvage procedures at the property given the unique nature of the structures, and the unprecedented quality of the building components and surrounding landscaping materials.

The developers of the property have voluntarily complied with these requests, and in the past few months they have implemented extensive salvaging of building materials. In the next few days, demolition will begin, during which the large hardwood trusses of the poolhouse roof will be saved for inclusion in the future Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA). 

The City Building Official, Arborist, Principal Planner, and Sustainability Manager met with project managers on-site in early  January 2015 to confirm the salvaging activities and plan for the protection of trees.  Many significant or unusual ornamental trees will be moved and replanted after demolition and clearing activities, and the onsite pond will be protected and retained in situ. Permits have been issued for the removal of a number of trees, including dead and diseased specimens.

Some of the items already salvaged include:  custom doors, most built-in cabinetry, lighting, large amounts of ornamental stone pavers and boulders, most interior knot-free cedar paneling, interior copper wall cladding, solid copper gutters, clear knot-free old growth redwood exterior siding, various tropical hardwood pieces, a custom spiral wooden staircase, an enormous underground diesel generator, extensive amounts of single-pane glazing, and other materials. 

To learn more about the Coval property permits, interested residents may call the City's permit counter at (206) 275-7605 
I-90Eastbound I-90 Closures Over Weekend
I90
Click for more project or closure information
This weekend, the Washington State Department of Transportation will funnel eastbound I-90 bridge traffic from Seattle into the center express lanes for construction purposes inside the Mt Baker tunnel and Mercer Island Lid area.

Residents heading east to Bellevue from the Island will be able to enter the general lanes at Island Crest Way.

The lane closures will start at 11:00pm on Friday February 27 and end at 5:00am Monday. This is the first of approximately 30 work closures over the next two years while the state builds bus and carpool lanes next to the regular lanes, so the center roadway can be dedicated to Sound Transit light rail construction in 2017.
Adult_LearningLifelong Learning Courses for Adults Over 50
Click to register

The City of Mercer Island continues a strong partnership with the University of Washington's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to provide adults over 50 with a venue to come together, share intellectual interests, and meet new people.

 

Osher courses offer the opportunity to explore and discuss a wide variety of thought-provoking subjects and to exchange ideas with peers - without tests, grades, or papers. In this lively learning environment, current and retired UW faculty and community experts do the teaching.  

 

An annual membership is available online for $35 and provides unlimited access to programs around Puget Sound; courses are $30-45 each, and many occur right here on Mercer Island!

 

Some upcoming offerings at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center include:

  • Let's Read Some Plays:  Wednesdays, March 4, 11, 18, and 25; from 10:30am to 12:30 pm

  • James Rigali - Critical Presidential Elections:  Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, and 28; from 1:00-3:00pm
     
  • David Smith - Contemporary Ethics 2:  Thursdays, May 14 - June 11; from 10:00am-Noon
     
  • Ellen Berg - American Political Ideas, Consent and Dissent: Tuesdays, June 9, 16, 23, and 30; from 1:30-3:30pm
For more information, Email Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Director Cindy Goodwin. 
Walk_100Join the Let's Move! Mercer Island Walk 100
Click to learn more or sign up now

The City's Parks and Recreation Department is leading the Let's Move! Mercer Island initiative with community partners who all participate in spreading the word on health and wellness. The City invites all residents to participate in a new Let's Move challenge program:  walk (or run) 100 miles between March and October 2015!  

 

Did you know that according to the American Heart Association walking can do the following for you?

  • Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
  • Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
  • Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
  • Enhance mental well-being
  • Reduce the risk of osteoporosis               
  • And much more...             

Participants can also collect a FREE pedometer to track miles from the City's Community and Event Center, the Stroum Jewish Community Center, or Mary Wayte Pool. 


To get started, visit www.letsmovemercerisland.com  and create a log-in to track your activity and miles on the American Heart Association website.  Make sure to choose the City of Mercer Island under the "company" box and create a walking tracker if you wish to be included in a drawing for great prizes.

 

Parks and Recreation staff will be able to view your name and mileage to see that you are on your way to 100! Prizes include shoes, fitness trackers, nutrition and fitness activity log books, Yoga Bliss membership for one month, gift cards and more.  The City thanks sponsors Mercer Island Foot and Ankle Clinic, Mercer Island Physical Therapy, and Mercer Island Pediatrics.

Mercer Island Goes Green
Master_ClassBecome a Master Recycler and Composter
Click for more course information

 Seattle Tilth offers a free Eastside volunteer training and outreach program to educate residents about recycling, backyard composting, organic gardening concepts and resource conservation. Participants gain knowledge, skills and tools to teach their friends, neighbors and other community members.

The  Master Recycler Composter Eastside program offers 28 hours of education over four weeks, including classroom learning, hands-on experience and field trips.  Participants learn about soil science concepts, integrated pest management, backyard food and yard waste composting, and curbside recycling. Participants will develop their own outreach projects, such as compost and recycling education in schools, churches, community centers or gardens. 

 

After completing the course, graduates donate 35 hours of their time offering compost and recycling education to their communities. The program is a partnership of the City of Issaquah, City of Kirkland, and Seattle Tilth and most classes occur in Kirkland. Applications (available here) are due by March 14, at 5:00pm.

There is also a very similar King County Master Recycler Composter course offered in Kent, with a different class schedule.

The City of Mercer Island uses compost in the maintenance of public landscaping, and practices many sustainable gardening techniques in the management of Parks facilities across the Island, including very minimal pesticide and herbicide use. All residents are encouraged to learn more about these concepts.   

 

  
For questions and comments on the MI Weekly, contact
Sustainability & Communications Manager Ross Freeman at

[email protected] or 206.275.7662.