Volunteers work 7,000 hours at Island parks | City briefs
Published 10:10 am Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Volunteers work 7,000 hours at Island parks
The city hosted a dinner on July 30 at Mercerdale Park to recognize the efforts of its parks volunteers, who donated 7,304 hours in 2014. That equates to about $168,00, said Councilmember Jane Brahm, who attended the event.
“There were many long-term volunteers here. There was one fellow who had been volunteering for 40 years,” Brahm said. “I would love to see more volunteer recognition events like this one.”
Library remodel plans in progress
After the Mercer Island library renovation project was put on hold, the Library Board has been meeting monthly with the new King County Library System (KLCS) Director Gary Wasdin and KCLS staff to go over goals and plans for the facility.
The architect, Miller Hull, will come back to the next Board meeting on Aug. 24 with some updates to discuss. The goal is to have a public meeting this fall to go over the renovation plans and to seek more public feedback, said Parks and Recreation Director Bruce Fletcher.
The overall goals are to maintain the current look and feel of the library, minimize closing time, maintain the existing collection shelving with room for ongoing planned growth, identify and implement potential energy efficiency opportunities throughout the process and provide opportunities for community input and communication.
Funding OK’d to restore Calkins Landing shoreline
On Aug. 3, the Council approved funding for the Calkins Landing Shoreline Restoration and Stormwater Project. It will reduce sediment outwash and improve nearshore habitat by improving a problematic stormwater outfall, removing a concrete bulkhead, redefining a beach access point and revegetating the shoreline area with native species.
The project is expected to be funded through a grant award from King County Flood Control District (KCFCD).
Calkins Landing has endured years of problematic stormwater outfall and degraded shoreline habitat. Since the early 2000s, heavy stormwater flows have caused major washouts, deposited sediment into Lake Washington, scoured the beach gravels and repeatedly damaged the waterfront access trail. The stormwater outfall drains stormwater from just over 33 acres in the East Seattle neighborhood, capturing runoff from over 100 buildings and a portion of West Mercer Way.
Level of service and transportation impact fees
During discussions on the Comprehensive Plan update, the City Council was held up on Town Center development guidelines and transportation level of service (LOS), prompting it to delay adoption of the plan update by at least six months.
The feasibility study for transportation impact fees presented on Aug. 3 identifies projects needed to attain LOS C, the City’s currently-adopted LOS, as well as LOS D, which is proposed in the draft Comprehensive Plan update. Last fall, the Planning Commission recommended that the city change its standard LOS of C to D.
The estimated cost of projects to attain LOS D is $5,191,000. The estimated cost of additional projects to attain LOS C is $16,396,000. An additional $4,055,400 is estimated for the cost of planned non-motorized transportation improvements.
Non-motorized projects include sidewalks, bicycle lanes, Safe Routes to School and East and West Mercer Way roadside shoulders.
New art exhibit at Community Center
Beat the heat and go check out the latest exhibit at the Mercer Gallery in the city’s air-conditioned Community and Event Center.
The Mercer Island Arts Council is presenting “Color X2,” an exhibit of new material by artists Kristi Galindo Dyson and Jackie VanNoy. The exhibit runs through Sept. 11.
For more events and information, visit www.mercergov.org.
