FAQs

Island Crest Park trail users continue to share input as part of the planning process, and the City is considering steps to further evaluate and to reduce safety risks on the trails. Actions include:

• Continuing to consult WCIA, the City’s insurance provider, throughout the BSA design process and incorporating their feedback into the site and signage design.
• Consulting the City’s Transportation Engineer about visibility and safety improvements at the Island Crest Park trailheads on 84^th Ave SE.
• Pruning trailside vegetation to improve sight lines at key trail intersections and narrow corridors.
• Educating the community on and promoting trail stewardship through signage, education materials, and other programs.

Progress on these and other actions will be shared on Let’s Talk.

Refined designs and opportunities to provide input will be published regularly on Let’s Talk. City staff will also continue to update the Parks & Recreation Commission (PRC) during the Department Report at the PRC’s monthly meetings.  

The City aims to complete construction in early fall 2023. The construction timeline will be published on Let’s Talk when available.

The funding for the bike skills area is not tied to the Mercer Island parks levy. On July 19, 2022, the City Council voted to authorize the use of $75,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund balance to begin design of a new bike skills area facility at Deane's Children's Park (5-0-1). More details available here.

And learn more about the Parks Levy renewal here.

Design development typically follows an iterative process: common milestones are 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100% design. After the development of each, the City has the opportunity to provide feedback and request changes, which incorporates public input. The 30% design will be a conceptual level design, capturing the main elements and basic layout of a bike skills area in response to the general project scope and any limitations/restrictions given to the design consultant.

In order to re-open the Upper Luther Bike Skills Area, the site would require substantial input to address current issues, including drainage, jump design, and professional construction. At their April 26, 2022 meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the merits of reopening the Upper Luther Bike Skills Area site and ultimately voted to "reopen the current Bike Skills Area in Upper Luther Burbank Park in a limited fashion…. predicated on the City finding an alternative location that could be brought online within 2-3 years." However, at their meeting on July 7, 2022, they voted to "rescind the previous recommendation… to establish an interim Bike Skills Area in Upper Luther Burbank Park pending identification of a permanent alternative site."  

At that meeting, Commissioners also voted to "recommend that the City Staff request funding from the City Council for a Bike Skills Area 30% Design project, to be located at Deane's Children's Park in the general area previously identified as Adventure Playground."  

This request was brought to the City Council on July 19, 2022, and $75,000 was appropriated for developing a 30% design for a new bike skills area in Deane’s Children’s Park. Council did not appropriate funds nor request that staff work toward re-opening the Upper Luther BSA during the development of the new bike skills area.