Why Deane’s Children’s (Dragon) Park needs renovation | Hamer
Published 9:30 am Monday, April 6, 2026
On a Sunday morning not long ago we took my grandson Ford to Dragon Park. He is 9 years old and is in a wheelchair due to a rare genetic condition. His father Casey, my wife Mariana, and I rolled him out of the van and pushed him through the narrow front gate, past the chain-link fences, a large climbing rock and a couple of swings.
His wheelchair worked fine on the asphalt path for about 25 yards. But things went downhill fast after that. All around the aging picnic shelter, sloped paths are crushed gravel or dirt, with a small section of bricks. Outdated playground structures are walled off by huge timbers, many of them crumbling, with bark chips covering the ground. Gravel, dirt, and bark don’t work for wheelchairs. His father had to push Ford everywhere we went.
The narrow dirt paths leading to Island Park Elementary School are almost impassable for wheelchairs — rocky, bumpy, full of tree roots. Ford wanted to be independent but that was impossible. A single ramp on one play structure was the only place he could roll himself up or down, but a big drop-off at the top — with no guardrail — meant his father and grandmother had to stand at the top and the bottom to prevent a fall or crash. The Dragon itself, with a large hole through its belly and a narrow path along its spine, is completely inaccessible to Ford.
A few weeks before, I took two of my other grandchildren to Dragon Park. Corwin is 10 and Esme is 7. They are both active kids who climb on the playground equipment and the Dragon. But after a while they ventured into the wooded area and began gathering large broken limbs to add to a teepee-like fort that other children had built. They spent nearly an hour finding limbs and adding them to the fort. I sat on a bench and watched as they played in the woods, thick with sword ferns, ivy and salal.
My conclusion? Deane’s Children’s Park needs a thorough renovation of its outdated central playground area, while also preserving the natural areas where kids — ALL kids — can use their creativity to create their own imaginative play structures.
These two goals are not mutually exclusive. We can achieve both.
Fortunately, the City of Mercer Island’s Parks and Recreation Department has fully embraced the compatible concepts of renovation and preservation. They have spent nearly 2 years on a Site Design Plan for Dragon Park that meets the needs of disabled kids like Ford and typically abled kids like Corwin and Esme. In addition, it will benefit those of all ages with mobility issues — including accident victims, wounded veterans, and aging seniors like me! I had back surgery and sometimes use a cane for balance. I’ve almost tripped more than once on Dragon Park’s rough paths and big timbers.
The city’s draft plan, called “Woodsy Wonders,” was expected to be reviewed by the City Council on Tuesday, April 7, at its 5 p.m. meeting at the MI Community and Event Center. The plan at this stage is an “aspirational vision.” The Council will vote on a long-range plan, not specific funding approval. The plan has inspired robust discussion. Some have raised questions about the need for accessibility and inclusion versus their desire to preserve the natural wooded areas. They question the need for safe and impervious surfaces that will accommodate wheelchairs through the site and around the playground. They question the amount of navigable surfaces, and the size of some proposed structures, including a tall treehouse.
A large coalition of citizens, Friends of Dragon Park, formed a few years ago to closely monitor the city’s planning effort. It includes individuals from my Mercer Island Rotary Club, MI Preschool Association, Moms4SafeMI, Friendship Circle, MI Chinese Association, SSALD (Special Services and Learning Differences), and Outdoors for All. We are not a formal organization, but an umbrella group with members who share common goals. Our co-chairs are Julie Day and Olivia Lippens, who are doing a great job of leading our coalition. They have met with Council Members and skeptics to answer questions. Ashley Hay, chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission – which approved the overall plan – has played a key role from the beginning. She and I worked together to pass the Parks Levy in 2022 and to help renovate Mercerdale “Train” Park, which is now the most popular playground on the island because it is so safe and accessible.
The MI Parks and Recreation Department’s excellent planning team, led by Ryan Daly, Kellye Hilde, and Shelby Perrault, conducted an unprecedented public-engagement process. City Manager Jessi Bon has been consistently supportive.
Meanwhile, my wife and I did our homework in the field of playground design. We talked with national experts, including the city’s outside consultant, Ingrid Kanics, who uses a wheelchair herself. We visited accessible playgrounds around the region, including in other cities and states. We fully endorse the vital need to balance accessibility and preservation.
We firmly believe that the city’s draft plan strikes the right balance. Our coalition’s “Statement of Consensus” letter has now been signed by dozens of citizens.
We strongly urge the City Council to unanimously approve the site plan so the city can proceed with applying for various grants. There will be ongoing opportunities for public comments and engagement. Over time, the plan will be followed as funds become available. But we must move forward now. Major amendments at this point could cost more money and delay progress.
Some have raised concerns that the long-term total cost for renovation may be as high as $9 million, although the final budget has not yet been set. Our city has many other pressing needs – city hall, police station, maintenance facility, water/sewer projects, roads, etc. The Council must prioritize needs and fund them accordingly. The purpose of a long-range site plan is to know what to do when and if funding is available.
From the beginning, Friends of Dragon Park members have offered to help raise outside private donations to supplement city and county dollars and state grants. Our members have many contacts and years of fundraising experience. We also believe the entire MI community will want to help in this once-in-a-lifetime effort to make Dragon Park a shining example of what can be done in a unique forested setting. This long-term investment will benefit all of us for generations to come.
My MI Rotary Club, for one example, has set a goal of raising $98,040 for Dragon Park. Our foundation is a 501c3, so donations are tax-deductible. We invite citizens to donate $98, or $980, or $9,804 to help us reach that goal. Maybe someone will give $98,040 or even $980,400! Want to help? Visit www.mirotary.org.
Other ideas and suggestions are welcome. Let us know if you can help!
But let’s move ahead now – so Ford, his sister Esme and their cousin Corwin can enjoy Dragon Park along with their grandparents – and ALL of you and your families. Let’s try to find “common ground” on this iconic site at the heart of our island. Working together, we can do this.
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John Hamer (jhamer46@gmail.com) is a former editorial writer and columnist for The Seattle Times, co-founder of the Washington News Council, and active in Friends of Dragon Park. He has lived on Mercer Island for more than 25 years and is a longtime Rotary member. He and his wife, Mariana Parks, frequently visit playgrounds with their four grandchildren.
