Do you have kids or grandkids who like visiting Mercer Island’s playgrounds? Do you have any ideas on how they can be improved? (The playgrounds, not the kids.)
If so, you have a very important role to play.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is now conducting a public survey seeking citizens’ advice and suggestions on what we want to see in a playground.
The survey focuses on Roanoke Park, at 70th SE and West Mercer Way. It is scheduled to be renovated this year.
The survey deadline is Friday, Jan. 12, and the results will be revealed and discussed at a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.
To complete the survey and register for the meeting, visit letstalk@mercergov.org and go to “Roanoke Playground Equipment Survey.” The online survey takes only about 10 minutes to complete. Please do it today!
“Effective citizen engagement is one of the most important and most challenging parts of city operations,” said Councilmember Craig Reynolds. “I hope residents will take advantage of this opportunity to provide input. It will help us to create a playground that is inclusive, attractive and fun.”
Kudos to city officials and staff for taking this approach. The city has contracted with a Seattle landscape design firm called Berger Partnership (bergerpartnership.com) to seek public input and consider various options.
You can work with City Hall. They will listen.
Case in point: When Mercerdale Park playground was closed for renovation a couple of years ago, the city was initially planning to replace the old equipment with similar stuff. But a citizens’ coalition came together to encourage the city to make Mercerdale (“Train Park”) more accessible to physically disabled children and more inclusive to those with sensory issues.
To their great credit, the City Council and staff stepped up to the challenge and completely redesigned Mercerdale playground to make it accessible and inclusive. It now may be the most popular playground on the island.
Encouragingly, MI voters in 2022 overwhelmingly approved a 16-year parks levy renewal to provide continued funding for playground replacements, parks operations, and forest management. Citizens played a big role in that as well.
Parks and playgrounds are vitally important to our community, increasing property values and providing recreational opportunities for play, exercise, walks, picnics, events and other activities. The new Bike Skills Area adjacent to Deane Children’s Park (“Dragon Park”) added a valuable venue for bikers – but we also must provide venues for those of all abilities.
Too often in the past, the disabled were overlooked or ignored when parks and playgrounds were designed. Thankfully, we have come a long way in what is truly the next big step in America’s civil-rights movement.
(Full Disclosure: My grandson Ford Parks has a rare genetic disorder and must use a wheelchair. His parents, Casey and Effie Parks, are active advocates for greater accessibility and inclusivity. See effieparks.com and onceuponagene.com for more details).
Renovating Roanoke Park – to be followed by other playgrounds over the years ahead – is vitally important not just for disabled kids like Ford, but for all of us who have disabilities – and that’s about 25% of the population. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) did a lot, but more clearly needs to be done. Mercer Island can be a regional if not national leader in this effort.
Ashley Hay, a member of the Parks Commission, said:
“The Roanoke playground renovation is an exciting kick-off to the many playground updates our community will see in the years ahead. I’m really pleased to see the city diving right into these renovations. We learned from the Mercerdale playground replacement that our community greatly values creating inclusive play spaces. We now have the opportunity to ensure that future replacements follow suit. From toddlers to seniors, our playgrounds are a source of such joy. This is a fantastic way to start the new year.”
Looking ahead, the city is also in the midst of a major reevaluation and updating of parks policies. The Parks Commission held a 3-hour meeting last week to consider these changes, which include a new zoning category for parks and open spaces, a redefinition of parks and their uses, and what donations are permitted by which sponsors. That is an ambitious and complicated process. Active citizen input is essential. They are our parks, and our voices can and should be heard.
Whether you have kids or grandkids with disabilities – or know anyone who does – here’s a chance for you to make your voices heard and play a constructive role. If we can’t do this on Mercer Island, where can we do it? We have the venues, the voters and the revenues. All we need is the will. Working together, we can do this.
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John Hamer is a former Seattle Times editorial writer and columnist who has lived on Mercer Island for 25 years. He was active in the citizens’ effort to help renovate Mercerdale Playground and to pass the Proposition 1 parks levy. He has four grandchildren, all under 10 years old.
