With regard to Dr. Swenson’s Sept. 25 letter, Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) is much more than a “private group.” It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation formed by a group of Mercer Island residents for the purpose of building and operating an arts center for the benefit of the community.

The MICA facility will not infringe upon any current use of Mercerdale Park. The western slope, with its trails and stairway, will remain wooded and intact. The walkway around the great lawn of the park will remain in place, as will the pergola, the children’s play area and the skateboard park.

The MICA building would replace the abandoned recycling center. It also would encompass a portion of the Northwest Native Garden to the south of the recycling center, which is currently overgrown and not well maintained.

The Northwest Native Garden would be smaller as a result of the MICA project, and MICA has undertaken to re-landscape and improve this area. Wooded paths and benches would continue to be part of the Northwest Native Garden.

It concerns me that opponents continue to state that the proposed lease between MICA and the city of Mercer Island will be for $1 per year. This ignores a very important portion of the lease, which provides that, in exchange for use of the land, MICA will provide public benefits to the community, including public restrooms, storage and other facilities needed by the Mercer Island Farmers Market, an outdoor covered performance area as part of the building that would face out toward the park, and classroom and performance spaces with preferential scheduling for the city.

And finally, it is within the purview (and indeed is a regular part of the job) of elected officials to make decisions as to the use of public property for community purposes. An advisory vote conducted at taxpayer expense every time citizens have heartfelt and reasonable disagreements about an issue would be an expensive and inefficient way to govern. Those City Council members and candidates who are willing to step up and secure the public benefit that MICA offers are to be commended.

Suzanne Zahniser

MICA Board member