Island Crest Park renovation to start soon
The Island Crest Park sports field improvements project, which was recently approved by the Mercer Island City Council, is expected to start this August and be completed in November 2017.
The project will install synthetic turf in the outfield of the north field and replace the existing 30-year-old lights and wood poles with a much more efficient LED light system on new steel poles. The LED lighting greatly minimizes light “spill” and has very low maintenance needs. Conduit will also be installed for the future completion of the lighting replacement on the south field. This field will have flexible markings to accommodate a range of sports. Safety and performance will be enhanced with shock pad underlay and cork infill.
The project contractor is Field Turf Northwest and the cost of the entire project will be $2.3 million. Grants and community donations have totaled over $700,000. Along with the grant dollars secured by Parks and Recreation staff, the public-private funding model made this project feasible.
Mercerdale hillside powerlines go underground
Starting in mid-August, Puget Sound Energy will be moving overhead powerlines along the Southeast 32nd staircase near Mercerdale Park into underground conduit.
This project will increase electrical service reliability for nearby customers. The area frequently experiences significant damage to powerlines from winter storms and related power outages. It will also eliminate the cyclical pruning that is required to keep trees away from the powerlines and that has prevented the healthy establishment of most native trees.
Phase 1 of this project was completed in 2015, when the city negotiated an agreement with the developers of the Trellis Project to install underground conduit in the lower (eastern) portion of this route when they were also installing required storm drainage.
The city will specify the planting of native shrubs and large native conifers in this corridor and expects them to grow to full size, adding considerably to the habitat of the Mercerdale Hillside Open Space in the long term. In the short term, there will be some tree removals and vegetation clearing in the staircase corridor (about 15 feet wide), and related trenching activities.
The construction corridor will be narrower and less disturbed than the section that was completed in 2015 due to lower impact techniques and shallower trenching needs. View a project area map at www.mercergov.org/files/MercerdaleHillside_Undergrounding.pdf.
Councilmember Salim Nice sworn in
Salim Nice, who was appointed to join the Mercer Island City Council last month, was officially sworn in on Aug. 7, after Reporter deadline. During the regular business portion of the meeting, the council was set to discuss the residential development standards and short-term commuter parking options, according to its agenda.
Mayor proclaims Aug. 24 as Women’s Equality Day
Mercer Island will celebrate Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 24, which is also the conclusion of the Mostly Music in the Park concert series. Female-fronted band Lemolo will perform at 7 p.m. in Mercerdale Park. The day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to women.
“Women’s contributions are growing our economy and advancing our country. But, despite these gains, the dreams of too many women continue to be deferred and denied,” according to a proclamation issued by the city on Aug. 7. “Mercer Island as a city will continue to publicly advocate for equal opportunity and recognition of the achievements of all women and girls.”
