Letter: Deputy Mayor Offers Positive News on I-90 Tolling, Youth Theatre, Thrift Shop Expansion

Fellow Islanders:

There have been some new and encouraging developments on the I-90 tolling issue that you will want to know about.   There are also some interesting ideas being circulated that will impact the future of Youth Theatre Northwest and the Thrift Shop that I wanted to make sure you were aware of.

I-90 Tolling

On tolling, Mayor Bruce Bassett, Deputy City Manager Noel Treat and Councilmember Mike Grady spent a day in Washington, D.C. earlier this month holding several important meetings.  The most significant was with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the agency that ultimately must decide whether to allow tolling of I-90.   In advance of that meeting, our lawyers had provided the FHWA with a detailed analysis demonstrating the legal challenges that will be faced in any decision on tolling. 

What is key to note from the FHWA meeting was that in attendance was Victor Mendez, the top official of that agency; from his questions, it was clear he had taken the time to familiarize himself with the issue.  Having someone at Mr. Mendez’s level attend a meeting such as this is very unusual and is a direct consequence of the stature and credibility of the City’s legal and lobbying team as well as the assistance of Representative Adam Smith.   Since the State has yet to even formally file for FHWA approval, Mr. Mendez could not comment on how the FHWA will respond but he and his staff made very clear that any request for tolling will be given the strict scrutiny that the law requires.  

Second, on June 6, we received a letter from the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) agreeing to conduct a study of “alternatives to regional tolling.”   This is in direct response to the regional outreach effort initiated by the City that resulted in Seattle, Bellevue, King County and eight other local governments joining Mercer Island in a letter requesting this study as well as Sound Cities Association, representing 35 local governments, making a similar request after being asked to do so by Mercer Island. 

Finally, this past Friday WSDOT issued its Scoping Summary Report on the proposed tolling.  When WSDOT started what was then its Environmental Assessment (EA) project on tolling, it asked people to comment on what the scope of that EA should be.  Over 3,400 comments were received, many if not most of them from Islanders, including a very detailed legal analysis from the City.  Since those comments were solicited, the Legislature, thanks to the leadership of Senator Steve Litzow, Representative Judy Clibborn and Representative Marcie Maxwell, has directed WSDOT to prepare a more thorough Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

What I found most encouraging about Friday’s announcement was that WSDOT intends to reopen the scoping process, as requested by the City, to ensure there is public input into what must be included in the EIS as that work requires significantly more analysis than the prior Environmental Assessment.   Also important to note was WSDOT’s acknowledgement that tolling, if imposed, would not occur prior to 2016.

I can only repeat what I said last month in summary of where matters now stand with tolling.  There is a long way to go and no one is declaring victory.   What this shows, however, is that with the right policies, with dedicated, professional and qualified people, with a willingness to talk with others and not at them, with a policy of always seeking to find common ground with our regional partners, and with the conviction of our beliefs, we can make progress to ensure that people living and working on Mercer Island are not the victims of unfair tolling.

Youth Theatre Northwest and the Thrift Shop

At its June Planning Session, the Council took important steps on two significant issues:  Youth Theatre Northwest and the Thrift Shop.  

First, the Council unanimously agreed to continue working with Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN) to help this group, which has been and remains so important to generations of Islanders, find a new home on Mercer Island.  Earlier in the year, the Council had directed staff to study two possible sites:  the former Recycling Center property near Mercerdale Park and the area behind the Community Center now used by two daycare operators.  The Recycling Center option would NOT require use of any part of Mercerdale Park that now has grass, trees or other vegetation on it.  Staff found both sites to be feasible.  While the Council was not yet ready to select one site over the other, YTN was told that one of these sites would be made available for a future home as part of a Performing Arts Center.  A site is expected to be selected by the Council no later than August. 

This is the first step, but a critical step, to move this forward.  YTN will still need to raise the money required to build a facility; other arts groups will be getting involved as this facility will also be used by them for public performances (consider a music venue that will further showcase the amazing musicians we have on Mercer Island); the facility’s governance structure will need to be worked out; if the Recycling Center site is chosen, use of the building on Sundays during the summer months will be coordinated in advance with the Farmers Market; if the Community Center site is chosen, the daycares will need to be relocated; and there are parking issues with both sites that have to be addressed.   Any governmental actions will require further public input. 

The Council was also presented with plans to expand the Thrift Shop.  Many Islanders do not fully appreciate the importance of the Thrift Shop to our community.  Sales provide over $1,000,000 annually to fund our social services programs for seniors, students and others.  Every week, the Thrift Shop has to turn away donations because it has insufficient retail and storage space.  Traffic and inadequate parking are causing spillover problems for the local community.  The Council is now considering a proposal that would increase retail space and reroute drop-off traffic to 78th Ave without, however, having any impact on the existing playground.  As envisioned, these changes would pump an additional $500,000+ into our community’s social services.  That can make a huge impact for Islanders.

While the playground area will not be touched, this proposal does involve taking some Mercerdale Park green space in the southeast corner next to the Thrift Shop.  The Council has directed staff to scale back the proposal and minimize the amount of Park space that will be required.  This again will require further public input as well as addressing the neighborhood’s concerns before any final action is taken. 

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I will miss many of you at this year’s Summer Celebration as our family will be getting together for one of those very difficult to schedule but most important summer vacations.  I hope you enjoy the parade, the food, the music and the Saturday night fireworks at Luther Burbank – I was very glad to see the Council step up and ensure we could once again have the public fireworks as these kinds of events help build and strengthen our community.

Please email me if you have any questions on the above information or on anything else involving the City government.

Dan Grausz

Deputy Mayor