Uproar over MICA’s impact puzzling | Letter

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, March 3, 2016

I am writing to express my support for the construction of the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) at the Mercerdale Park location. I grew up on the Island and am now raising my three children here, but this is my first time writing a letter to the Reporter.

I put it off for many months because I was too “busy” working and raising my children to participate in the wonderful editorial forum provided by our local paper, trusting that, despite the negative dialogue, our town would ultimately extend its legacy of support for the arts and go through with the construction of the MICA facility as planned.

For many months I have read with great concern the comments of a vocal minority of residents who want us to believe that the MICA development would destroy a valuable piece of park property and inappropriately imply that it should be grouped with the very valid concerns over development of the downtown area.

I have seen one last name appear so frequently that I briefly considered writing to the Reporter to suggest that it would be more appropriate to give the couple their own weekly column titled, “Reasons we don’t support MICA.”

I share the concerns of many of my fellow Islanders over the extreme rate of development in recent years, and it pains me to think that soon the town center of my childhood will have completely vanished. I regularly use and love the parks on the Island, and in the absence of a very compelling reason otherwise, would oppose any development of them.

The MICA facility is one such reason. The apparent uproar over MICA’s impact on Mercerdale puzzles me. In reality, the MICA building would replace the eyesore that is the former recycling center and a small amount of mostly unused park space. In exchange, we would receive a facility that would enhance the cultural life of this community for generations.

I grew up participating in the arts and recognized at a young age that I was fortunate to live in a town that placed a high value on artistic development, providing support and funding for such events as the annual Fine Arts Showcase and the Youth Theater, which has valiantly continued to operate despite losing its home to the development of the new elementary school. I am not unique in this experience, and urge others who have benefited from the arts on the Island to add their voices to the dialogue.

I oppose growth without purpose. But the development of the MICA facility is in keeping with the nature and unique qualities of our community, and is well worth the investment of our space and financial resources.

Stephanie Burnett

Mercer Island