FAQ

Aubrey Davis Park is a 90+ acre, 2.8-mile-long park straddling I-90 on Mercer Island. Most of the parkland is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and managed by the City of Mercer Island (City).

The park was designed with the original construction of I-90 approximately 25 years ago, and has remained much the same since. Regional growth, recreation trends, the construction of current and future projects in and adjacent to the park have contributed to the need to update the master plan. WSDOT and the City are jointly developing this master plan, with the City acting as the lead agency.

The purpose of the master plan is to express a long-term vision for the park, trail, and open space that will guide future improvements. Features shown in master plans illustrate how they’d be coordinated and laid out over the landscape. The park master plan should reflect the programming and character traits the community thinks the park should include, and their relationship to other surrounding uses. However, the features shown in the master plan will be implemented over time and additional detailed design work will be needed before any construction could begin.

The master plan process is essentially a listening phase of design. It includes a review and analysis of existing conditions and a public process to gather input and feedback from initial programming through alternatives and a final preferred plan. An implementation plan is also developed to support phasing, permitting and funding needed to carry out the master plan over time.

Public involvement is very important and there will be opportunities for public input at each step of the process. Public comments and feedback will guide the park design and inform future park development. There will be public Workshops and Open Houses to hear community input on the master plan. All Open Houses will include a public meeting and an online forum.

Public process for the master plan includes the following:

Site Analysis

• Summer & Fall 2018
• Online survey and stakeholder workshops to learn more about existing conditions and use, ideas for the park, and any specific challenges or opportunities

Vision & Programming

• Winter 2019
• Open House to discuss an overall vision and programming for the park based on the Site Analysis phase

Schematic Design Alternatives

• Spring 2019
• Open House to review master plan design alternatives developed from information heard in the Workshops and previous Open Houses

Preferred and Final Master Plan

• Summer/Fall 2019
• Open House to review a Preferred Master Plan and City Council meeting for Final Master Plan adoption

• Provide feedback on the city’s Let’s Talk Mercer Island forum, an online engagement site to support community discussion about projects and opportunities in Mercer Island, at: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/
  
  
• Join the Aubrey Davis Master Plan email list! Contact Mr. Paul West, Parks Operations Superintendent at: paul.west@mercergov.org or 206-275-7833.

Aubrey Davis Park is the public recreational facilities and landscapes that straddle Interstate 90 on Mercer Island.  It includes the Mountains to Sound Trail, the Lid Park, the East Channel Boat Launch, the Gretta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery, and other landscapes that were developed with the freeway expansion in the early 1990’s. 

Aubrey Davis was a long time Mercer Island resident and public servant who served 11 years on the City Council, including two as mayor, starting in 1970. As the mayor, Davis advocated for the park and championed the rights of Islanders during the design and construction of Interstate 90. The park was named in his memory in 2013.