City to host June 22 traffic meeting
The city of Mercer Island plans to host a traffic and safety meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. on June 22 in the West Mercer Elementary gym.
It will serve as a kickoff for the community engagement process to determine how best to expend the mitigation funds secured in the tentative settlement with Sound Transit.
The city has been monitoring traffic since the closure of the Interstate 90 center roadway on June 4. On the morning of June 5, vehicle counts during the busiest portion of rush-hour (“peak hour”) for westbound traffic to Seattle were down by about 700 vehicles. On June 6, clogging picked up a little more at key intersections and ramps, and approximately 550 vehicles did not appear during the peak hour westbound, according to the city’s newsletter.
Mercer Island is anticipating more surface street and on-ramp congestion once more vehicles re-appear for the morning commute, though that might not be until the University of Washington and Mercer Island schools are both back in session, and stormy weather returns.
Vehicles have not diverted to Interstate 405 or State Route 520, as vehicle counts across the 520 bridge have not increased.
Based on monitoring from the city’s Emergency Operations Center, observations from staff out in the field and a number of new city traffic sensors, the peak hour average from Island Crest Way to Rainier Avenue in Seattle has risen from about seven minutes to nine to 12 minutes so far. Islanders can send comments to rail@mercergov.org and use the hashtag #MICommute to track traffic changes on social media.
Council hears residents, builders out on residential code changes
On June 5, the Mercer Island City Council held its first reading on the Planning Commission’s recommendation for the residential development standards code amendments. It also held a public hearing on June 12, after Reporter deadline.
Planning Manager Evan Maxim went over the highlights of the proposed changes, including reducing the percent allowed gross floor area from 45 to 40, changing the impervious surface deviation to a landscaping requirement, requiring wider setbacks on wider lots, introducing a minimum tree retention standard and changing construction hours.
The council voted to continue the first reading on June 19. For more, see www.mercergov.org/Residential.
Council forwards cable agreement
At its June 5 meeting, the council held a study session and first reading on a franchise agreement with CenturyLink, which would allow the company to provide its new cable service — “Prism TV” — to Mercer Island residents.
Historically, Comcast has been the sole cable operator on the Island. A franchise agreement between the city and CenturyLink would provide residents additional options for cable service, according to the council’s agenda bill. The Comcast cable franchise agreement was entered into in 2005 and is scheduled to be renegotiated within the next year.
The council voted to have a second reading on the agreement on June 19, though Councilmember Dan Grausz proposed that the city incorporate some of the language on tree protection from its recent agreement with Crown Castle for small cell wireless facilities.
Council favors cork over crumb rubber for field project
Also on June 5, the council voted to approve changes to the Island Crest Park field project, which has a budget of $2,190,160, though additional funds are needed.
City staff recommended that the project, which would remove the existing sand base outfield in the north half of Island Crest Park and replace it with synthetic turf, include funding for a shock pad, lights and cork infill for the field, which costs $82,358 more than crumb rubber infill.
Given the Mercer Island School District’s decision to go with cork infill at the high school football field and the many comments received from the community in support of cork infill, staff assumed the council would go with the alternative infill as well, which will require $511,190 in additional funding. A group of community volunteers has pledged to raise $50,000 by June 21.
For more information, see www.mercergov.org/CouncilMeetings.
