“Buses from the Mercer Island School District also will take children to and from schools, and are expected to be a major source of transportation for classes.” This quote is taken from the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) application submitted to the city on July 27.

My questions are the following: How many school buses will be using downtown Mercer Island streets? What hours of the day will the buses be downtown? Will they have a drop-off point? Will they wait for students? What city streets will the buses be using? Some of you who also live near a school may have other questions that I have not asked.

How will bicycles, cars and school buses exist in a defined limited space as 77th Avenue and 32nd Avenue?

Add to this mix a 500 (300 plus 100 plus 100) seat venue to be built using on street parking and private agreements for parking. Is this the same procedure that all the other businesses on Mercer Island have had to follow?

We all know this proposed traffic density will increase congestion and air pollution in a limited space that already has a shortage of parking.

All agreements concerning the use of Mercerdale Park as a building site should be put on hold until the city presents to the public a completed vision for downtown Mercer Island.

Ask for a vote on the private development proposed in Mercerdale Park. Call City Council members and ask for details. Ask for the public to be given completed details of the vision of downtown Mercer Island. Everyone has a right to see and understand what is happening, and not just the few who have the time to read detailed documents submitted to the city.

Jackie Dunbar

Mercer Island