Tax for park? – Many support taxes to pay for Luther Burbank

By Wendy Giroux

By Wendy Giroux

For perhaps the first time in Island history, community members on Monday gave the City Council a message by singing a song to the tune of “Winter Wonderland.”

“City Council, are you listening? In the sun, the park is glistening. A beautiful sight; an Island delight. Walking Luther Burbank wonderland … ”

Before the musical public hearing, city staff members and consultants gave the council a complete report about the three-month public involvement process that wrapped up in January.

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A majority of residents who spoke up about Luther Burbank Park said they’d like the park to stay in as natural a state as possible, and that they want the city to continue to tax them to pay for the park’s upkeep.

Others support the addition of seasonal snack stands or kayak rentals, while a few individuals said they would love a new restaurant or conference center.

“We’re gonna’ do a little thinking about it, and then we’ll do a little talking about it … ” Mayor Alan Merkle said at the close of Monday’s session on the park. He told residents the council would keep citizens informed and involved.

The public process began when council members discussed Luther Burbank early last year during their retreat. The council decided that they wanted to hear from as many community members as possible before any decisions were made about the future of the park.

“When we began this effort, we met many community members who were extremely mistrustful of the council’s intentions for the park,” consultant Margaret Norton-Arnold wrote in a report to the council.

The city hired Norton-Arnold’s firm to conduct the public process, the point of which is to create “… a real legacy here for future generations of Mercer Islanders,” she said Monday. “We heard throughout the process that `We want this to be a place where generations and families can go together.”’

“We were surprised, I think, at the extent to which people said, this should come from our personal dollars,” Norton-Arnold said.

The process included two public hearings, three community workshops and soliciting letters, e-mails and other comments. About 240 people attended the three workshops; 165 written comment forms, 79 Web site surveys and 42 letters and e-mails were received, according to the report.

Based on all the community input, Norton-Arnold and a landscape expert with the Berger Partnership crafted a set of “Community Design Guidelines.” The ideas incorporated in the 15 guidelines are meant to help guide the creation of a master plan for the park. The guidelines are:

  • Preserve the existing serenity of the park.
  • Protect and enhance the shoreline experience.
  • Protect and enhance wetland areas.
  • Preserve existing historical and cultural resources.
  • Rehabilitate the swimming beach.
  • Expand court usage.
  • Maintain and improve the existing meadow.
  • Provide for an off-leash dog area.
  • Revitalize the dock area.
  • Expand and enhance activities for children.
  • Consider new picnic facilities.
  • Explore opportunities for new seasonal food vendors and special events.
  • Ensure that support facilities (such as parking and restrooms) are adequate.
  • Create a greater ease of connection with Upper Luther Burbank.

A majority of the packed crowd at Monday’s meeting joined in on the “Luther Burbank Wonderland” song, which was met by applause from council members and the audience alike.

The council also recognized citizens’ requests for some sort of vote on the park issues, but said that would need to come later once they have something more solid prepared for residents to vote on.

Individual council members brought up a number of lingering questions. For example, Sven Goldmanis said he wants to know more about potential cumulative traffic impacts, while Bryan Cairns said he is interested in cost estimates for the various possible improvement projects.

About 10 residents shared their thoughts on the park during the public hearing.

“We do not want to destroy Luther Burbank in order to save it,” said Marguerite Sutherland, a parks advocate and former council member.

Some simply thanked the council for the way they conducted the public process, while others asked for specific things such as no additional parking, no additional roads and the protection of the Pea Patch.

“I feel very strongly about the need to preserve and protect Luther Burbank Park,” said Joy Thompson, who has lived on the Island since 1966.