About two years after beginning the Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan project, the Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Commission finally presented the final draft of the plan to city council at its Jan. 18 meeting.

There was a lengthy pause in the process due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the commission restarted the project in January of 2021 and rolled from there. The six-year guide and strategic plan is focused on managing and enhancing parks, open space, trails, arts and recreation opportunities for Islanders, according to the city’s Let’s Talk platform.

Next on the docket is a deeper dive into the 2022 PROS Plan along with a public hearing on the plan scheduled during the virtual city council meeting on Feb. 15. Also on tap at the meeting will be a discussion of the Capital Improvement Plan and projects list, and implementation strategies and future work stemming from the plan.

Public Works chief of operations Jason Kintner said the city is aiming to have council adopt the plan by March so it can be eligible for Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grants.

The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the final draft of the plan at its Jan. 6 meeting, and on Jan. 24 a notice was issued for a non-project State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review of the plan that includes a 30-day public comment period that will wrap up on Feb. 23.

Commission chair Jodi McCarthy detailed the group’s PROS Plan project experience at the council meeting: “We spent countless hours pouring over this information, attending meetings and public forums, agonizing about getting it right and finding a balance for all Mercer Islanders who are passionate about our parks.”

Some of the areas that will require major work are the aging docks at Luther Burbank Park, Groveland Beach and Clarke Beach, several playgrounds that will need to be replaced in the next 6-10 years and all Island parks being made as accessible and inclusive as possible, McCarthy said.

Commission vice chair Peter Struck added about piecing together the PROS final draft plan: “I really appreciated all commission members. They all brought a slightly different perspective on how to approach or think about things and I think we’ve come up with a good compromise approach.”

PROS Plan consultant Steve Duh of Conservation Technix said they offered two community-wide surveys and held two virtual open houses for residents to voice their opinions and provide suggestions over the last two years.

“With regard to public engagement, the process to develop the draft PROS Plan was robust and inclusive. In all, we heard from well over 3,000 voices of Island residents throughout this process,” he said.

Some of the commission’s takeaways from the process that it considered when devising the plan included: Residents’ consistent, strong support for replacing docks and piers; improving maintenance of existing trails; renovating and replacing playgrounds, which they want to feature inclusive play; and upgrading/expanding restrooms. Overall, 99 percent of participants in surveys and open houses feel parks and recreation is essential or important, and 93 percent are satisfied with the value they receive from Mercer Island.

To view the final draft document, visit https://letstalk.mercergov.org/miprosplan.