Petition Summary: Petition to the Mercer Island City Council: We, the undersigned residents of Mercer Island, favor a lower-profile Town Center that protects our small town feeling and our quality of life. We do not oppose growth; we only ask that it be thoughtful, responsible growth that is in keeping with the character of our suburban small town, and is consistent with what we desire, aesthetically and functionally, for our Town Center. Creating urban-style high residential density in our Town Center is not in the best interests of Mercer Island residents in that it provides few, if any, benefits for Islanders and results in many downsides.

For all these reasons, we urge the City Council to enact a development code that caps Town Center building heights at two- or three-stories south of 27th Street (AKA Alternative C)

Please read below for analysis of the costs of urban style density and other background information.

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What you can do to impact how Mercer Island grows:

Signing our petition is an easy and quick way to let the City Council know how you feel. If you are a Mercer Island resident and you prefer a lower-profile Town Center, with a small town feeling, we ask that you do the following:

--Please sign this petition. Note that to sign the petition you must agree to accept occasional emails from Change.org--but you can always unsubscribe. Don't let that stop you from expressing your opinions!

--Please email your Mercer Island neighbors and friends and ask them to sign the petition.

--Please share this petition on Facebook and Twitter.

--Please write to your City Council at Council@mercergov.org ASAP

--Please attend the City Council meeting on May 16th. This meeting will be at City Hall and will begin at 5:00 pm. Note the early start time.

 

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Costs of Urban Style Residential Density (Analysis):

No retail vibrancy: According to the City-hired economic consultant, increased density will not result in additional stores and restaurants on Mercer Island.

Increased traffic congestion: Future Town Center traffic is already going to get worse once I-90's reversible center roadway is closed next year, and the number of freeway entrances is reduced. Many more cars will be cutting through Town Center to get onto the freeway. We should not make it even worse by adding more high residential density buildings. Our one-lane Town Center streets simply were not built to accommodate these additional cars.

More school overcrowding: Even with the opening of the new fourth elementary school, we will still have portables for the foreseeable future. We have no land upon which to build new schools so what is the plan to accommodate new students? And will the costs of future school bonds be so high that some in our community will be taxed off the Island?

Higher costs to manage crime: Higher density generally results in higher crime, according to most reliable data. Higher crime translates into higher policing costs today (police salaries), and in the future (police pensions).

Potential increased risk from fires or seismic events: Currently the Mercer Island Fire Department does not own any ladder trucks. In an emergency, including any confirmed structural fire, we must wait for ladder trucks to cross the bridge from Bellevue or Seattle. When the I-90 reversible center roadway closes next year, and traffic is like a parking lot, the ladder trucks will not be able to get here quickly. In an extreme seismic event, the bridges may fail so the ladder trucks would never be able to get here. If we do not have the proper fire equipment on the Island, then it is irresponsible to continue to build more four- and five-story buildings, especially in the Town Center, a known seismically hazardous area.

Higher municipal costs that will result in higher taxes: Other infrastructures and services (water, sewer, etc.) will have to be enlarged to accommodate the growing population. Impact and mitigation fees are not large enough to cover actual costs. That translates into increased taxes for Mercer Island residents.

Creation of canyon-like streets with buildings that block the views and sunlight

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Background: The Town Center Visioning Process ("TCVP") began in May 2014 when the City Council acknowledged that the development code was not delivering the kind of Town Center that Islanders had been promised. To quote from the City's website: "The 2015 Town Center Code Update process is a citizen based, multi-stakeholder visioning exercise tasked with helping determine the desired future look and feel for the Town Center area for the next 20 years, by setting rules for things like building heights, public spaces, retail and residential uses, and streetscapes." For more information, follow the links on the City's website: http://www.mercergov.org/Page.asp?NavID=3058

The Joint Commission is in the final stages of its analysis. It will make a recommendation to the City Council in late-April. In May, the City Council will take over and finalize the code revisions and updates to Mercer Island's Comprehensive Plan.

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For more information, or if you want to receive emails regarding our group's activities and progress, please contact us at IslandersforResponsibleGrowth@yahoo.com.