About Deane's Children's Park

Located mid-Island, Deane’s Children’s Park has served local kids and families for more than 60 years. This post provides an overview of the park.

Park Formation

In 1962, the Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA) proposed a children’s park at Island Crest Park, which was owned and operated by King County. After the plan was approved, MIPA solicited support from local organizations to purchase equipment and enlisted community volunteers to build the children’s play area. The City acquired Island Crest Park in 1968 and renamed the play area Deane’s Children’s Park in 1985, in honor of Lola and Phil Deane, Mercer Island residents who were instrumental in the park’s creation. MIPA has continued to partner with the City to improve Deane’s, including a major park renovation completed in 2005.

Park Amenities

Play opportunities at Deane’s include two platform structures, a climbing wall and boulder, swings, and free-standing play opportunities such as a spinner and puzzles, as well as Kenton’s Dragon, a concrete dragon sculpture/play structure. Equipment is disbursed throughout a forested play area and connected by both dirt and paved trails. The park also includes a rentable picnic shelter, one all-gender restroom, a City storage shed, picnic tables and benches, and a small parking lot.

In 2023, the City added the Bike Skills Area (BSA), a skills-building course designed for riders of all ages. The BSA features two jump lines, a bicycle playground, and is fully fenced with two new trail entrances, along with an ADA accessible entrance via the existing paved path.

Existing Conditions & Site Opportunities

A preliminary assessment of existing conditions was completed in preparation for a sitewide redesign of Deane’s Children’s Park. The City engaged the Berger Partnership to assess the site from 2023-2024. Berger identified the following key takeaways from their findings:

Play Equipment – Aging play equipment needs to be replaced, and existing play elements are not truly accessible. Additionally, the park's play equipment lacks diverse and inclusive play opportunities for all users.
Existing Amenities – The park includes several amenities that require replacement. The picnic shelter is at the end of its useful life, and the park restroom is not centrally located or easily accessible. Site furniture, like picnic tables and benches, do not meet accessibility standards, and many are in disrepair.

Site Circulation – The park lacks clear wayfinding to the different play areas, which are spread out, making overall site navigation unclear. The existing trails and pathways should be clearly defined to distinguish accessible versus non-accessible routes. Lastly, accessible parking spaces need to be upgraded to meet accessibility standards.

These findings present many opportunities for upgrading trails and pathways, introducing new, nature-based and inclusive play equipment and experience, and designing a central amenity area that serves both the BSA and playground users.

Next Steps for the Park

In 2025, Berger will facilitate the planning effort with the community to develop a Site Plan for the park that integrates park features, improves navigation, and introduces diverse play experiences to the City’s playground system.

Deane’s was identified for playground replacement in the 2022 Parks Levy. However, Levy funding does not include resources for broader site improvements. A fundraising strategy and phased construction plan will also be developed to ensure broader site improvements can be successfully implemented as additional resources become available. The scope of the first phase of improvements will be determined through the site planning process and will include replacement of one or more playground structures.