The City's consultant has completed the  Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the East Seattle School demolition, providing an analysis of alternative actions. 

The Draft EIS informs the City's decision on how to act on the demolition permit by evaluating three possible scenarios: a) demolition of the building; b) continuation of existing site conditions; and c) adaptive reuse of the building.

City staff will host a community information session on the draft EIS on Thursday, February 27, from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center (Room 103). The meeting will offer an opportunity for agencies, organizations and individuals to discuss the Draft EIS, as well as an additional opportunity to submit written comments in person. Time will also be available for Q&A and general discussion.

Public comment on the Draft EIS is invited through March 11, 2020 and may be Emailed to Robin Proebsting, Senior Planner, or mailed to Community Planning and Development at City Hall, 9611 SE 36th Street. 

Learn more about the proposed East Seattle School project from the City's public engagement site.

This week, construction began on a new pedestrian crossing near City Hall at the intersection of North Mercer Way and SE 36th Street. This long-desired safety project will provide a new marked crossing for the neighborhood by installing a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) signal and crosswalk, along with new ADA curb ramps and a slightly narrowed roadway.

Currently there is no marked crosswalk across SE 36th anywhere near this location.  This result will be similar to the City's two other RRFB installations, located on Island Crest Way at Island Park Elementary and at Island Crest Park.

 

The contractor's work hours will be 7:30am to 3:30pm on weekdays, and two travel lanes will be kept open at all times, but there may be brief delays to traffic. Neighbors have been notified by mail, and completion is expected in late April 2020.

Another component of this project is already complete: in November 2019, streetlights were upgraded to modern LED fixtures that provide more uniform and sharper lighting at the intersection.  

Yesterday (February 11), members of the City Council and Utility Board took an afternoon tour of the expansive recycling facility operated by Recology, the City's new contracted waste hauler.  For two hours, Councilmembers Lisa Anderl and Jake Jacobson, and Utility Board Members Mary Grady and Stephen Milton, learned about the 24/7 operation in South Seattle, accompanied by Public Works Director Jason Kintner and Sustainability Manager Ross Freeman.

Following an overview presentation by Recology staff, the visitors were guided through the state-of-the-art machinery as it sorted all manner of recyclable material into separate streams destined for baling and sale to third-party buyers. Attendees saw first-hand the importance of ensuring recyclables are empty, clean, and dry, and also witnessed why plastic bags and films are no longer accepted due to their impact on equipment.

Tours, and many other educational programs, are available to the general public via Recology's website.

The City's Arts Council is accepting submissions from emerging Mercer Island artists (ages 14-21) for a new poster design promoting the 34th Annual Mostly Music in the Park concert series in Mercerdale Park.

The winning design will be printed as an 11x17-inch poster, which is the key promotional piece for the event and will be distributed to more than 200 locations across the Island and in surrounding communities.

To apply, please Email your digital submission to Community Programs Manager Diane Mortenson by Monday, April 6, 2020.

Click here for full contest guidelines.  

The City of Mercer Island is one of more than two dozen municipal partners that works with Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) to improve animal welfare in the region. 

Every year, more than 100,000 cats and dogs are licensed regionally, providing vital funds for animal care as well as shelter for homeless pets until they get adopted. In 2019, more than 4,100 pets were adopted to new families or returned to their lost owner. And thanks to the tireless work of 44 staff and 800 volunteers, the RASKC animal shelter also achieved a live-release rate of 95% in 2019.

 

Lean more about volunteering here.