What do we want to achieve for our Town Center? There are two major obstacles. One is population growth, a priority that we all recognize. The other is image.
A few years back, many Islanders will recall, a remake of Interstate 90 would transform this thoroughfare into a wide, open trench as it crossed Mercer Island.
Mercer Island’s leaders at that time said empathetically NO WAY, and won the argument. It was not that simple, but my point is that Mercer Island’s integrity and image were not sacrificed to the hard reality of the freeway.
We now have the Lid Park and the freeway. Dare I say, everybody won? Population growth is today’s hard reality. It’s a more subtle dilemma but apt to be equally destructive to Mercer Island’s image.
Population growth and image building must work together for this project to succeed. An appropriate image will encourage population growth.
In the last few years more buildings have been added, but do nothing to enhance Town Center image, to the dismay of Island residents. Come on leaders, show some imagination, some creativity.
Let the natural beauty of our Island lead the way. Work with that and promote a common buoyant personality through an array of simple, elegant buildings and open spaces to entice Islanders and off-islanders to our special Town Center.
Make population growth a less stressful goal. Don’t push our natural beauty under another building for the sake of a landowner.
Keep growth and image in proper balance. There are talented local urban planners, architects and landscapers who would accept Mercer Island’s Town Center’s image building as a worthwhile challenge.
Encourage landowners to be patient. Let us work together. It may take longer, but it could be an exceptional, exhilarating journey, worth all the anguish.
Bob Still
Mercer Island