Do the citizens of Mercer Island know that the City Council is planning on renting an acre of parkland for $1 a year for the next 50 years to the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA)?

Do they know that the council allowed the sale of part of Clarke Beach for 11 cents per foot? All this without a vote of the people. Who wouldn’t want an acre of parkland, especially at a fee of $1 a year, and be able to buy waterfront for 11 cents an acre. When Howard Schultz encroached on city property, Seattle made him give it back.

Of course, many of us want MICA and Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN), just not on city park property. MICA says they cannot find a location. Well, the builders are finding locations all over the Island. MICA could but they want a basically free location. It seems the council is constantly trying to chip away at park property.

Examples: a parking lot at Luther Burbank for Bellevue’s use, homes for teachers at Upper Luther Burbank, turning the empty caretaker’s home at Luther Burbank into a preschool, a golf course at Pioneer Park, etc. What next? At least let the citizens vote on the MICA location. Why is the council so determined not to allow a vote? Are they afraid of losing the vote? Are we living in a democracy?

Beatrice Rauch

Mercer Island