If you grew up on Mercer Island, have lived here for any length of time, and have children, grandchildren or maybe great-grandchildren, chances are you’ve spent time at Deane’s Children’s Park — commonly known as “Dragon Park.”

This enchanting forested playground, just off Island Crest Way near Island Park Elementary School and the baseball fields and new Bike Skills Area at Island Crest Park, is a genuine Mercer Island icon.

However, major changes are overdue at Dragon Park, which is clearly showing its age. It was originally owned by King County Parks, but was turned over to the city in 1965. Renovated in 2005, the entire site now needs a complete makeover. The picnic shelter is deteriorating, the single restroom is barely serviceable, pathways need new surfacing, and parking is limited.

What’s more, almost none of the playground equipment meets even minimal ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards. Only one structure has a ramp. I know this because I have a disabled grandson, Ford Parks, now 8, who uses a wheelchair. He cannot access most of the play structures at Dragon Park. Wood chips that cover much of the surface don’t work for wheelchairs. Many of the paths have bumpy tree roots or big rocks. He can’t even roll through the big hole in the Dragon’s chest. The current dragon, created by Montana artist Kenton Pies, replaced an earlier version whose head is still in the bushes nearby.

As an aging senior, I also have difficulty navigating the park, especially when I’m trying to keep up with my granddaughter Esme, 6, Ford’s little sister. I have almost tripped over some of the big timbers that surround the play structures. It’s downright hazardous.

Happily, a major makeover for Dragon Park is now in the works.

The MI City Council last week unanimously approved a “scope of work and community engagement plan” for Deane’s Children’s Park. I attended the meeting, along with Lola Deane, who was an original founder of the park, and my grandson Ford.

Lola and Ford are Honorary Co-Chairs of a growing citizens’ group called “Friends of Dragon Park” (FoDP) that formed to help the city plan the renovation project. We have met several times in the past year to offer support and suggestions.

In January, the city’s excellent Public Works team gave us a detailed early presentation, with maps, goals, background, calendar, timetable and early budget estimates. The meeting was led by Jason Kintner and Kellye Hilde of the city’s Public Works department. Our group included members of the Rotary Club of Mercer Island (RCMI) and the Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA), which originally helped develop the park. We have since added Friendship Circle, Moms4SafeMI, and MI Chinese Association (MICA) to our coalition.

We have credibility because some of the same group came together to encourage the city’s renovation of Mercerdale Park playground, known as “Train Park.” Since it reopened in June 2022, it’s become perhaps the most popular playground on the island.

The newly adopted plan for Dragon Park, well worth reading in its entirety, lays out the city’s goals and timetable, including an admirable public-engagement effort. A public survey, an open house, “Let’s Talk” online discussions, and informational materials are coming soon. Design alternatives will be ready by summer and a final plan by fall, with construction to start next year. The city has contracted with Berger Partnership, a landscape architectural firm, and Consor Engineers to design and build the project.

As part of the city’s PROS (Parks Recreation and Open Space) process, all of MI’s other parks and playgrounds, which have reached their useful life condition, are also due for renovation in the next several years. The Parks Levy, passed by a big majority vote in 2022, provided funding for this process. The city is now renovating Roanoke Park and First Hill Park, but they are much smaller projects.

To make Dragon Park fully accessible and inclusive, however, some additional funding beyond the city’s budgeted amounts may well be needed. Rotary and MIPA helped raise extra funds at Mercerdale and our names are on plaques near the Train.

We may disagree on lots of things these days, but there’s one thing we all can agree on: Mercer Island’s parks and playgrounds, which are so essential to our community, must be made totally usable and welcoming for all who live or visit here, regardless of ages and abilities.

The disabled are actually the nation’s largest minority group if you include everyone from children with rare diseases or birth defects, accident victims, and aging seniors like me who may use canes, walkers or wheelchairs. We are already at least 25 percent of the population, and as Baby Boomers age that number is growing.

Last week Public Works Chief of Operations Kintner, along with team members Sarah Bluvas and Shelby Perrault, answered questions from council members. They are on the right track. It’s a great team with a solid professional approach.

Friends of Dragon Park is now inviting local organizations, businesses, nonprofit groups, families and individuals to help support this vital effort. We now have a Facebook group page, so please join us and encourage all your friends to do the same. We welcome ideas and suggestions on more ways to involve citizens. If you want to help, please email us at friendsofdragonpark@gmail.com

We want to have fun with this campaign and make one of MI’s all-time favorite playgrounds truly state-of-the-art. If we can’t do this on Mercer Island, where can we do it?

John Hamer (jhamer46@gmail.com) is a former editorial writer/columnist for The Seattle Times. He and his wife have lived on Mercer Island for more than 25 years and have four grandchildren, who all love our parks and playgrounds.

Lola Deane and Ford Parks, co-chairs. Courtesy photo