Island Park PTA Executive Board Asks Council to Reconsider Dragon Park Plan
Island Park Elementary PTA Executive Board questions the costs and potential impacts of the proposed plan.
The members of the Island Park PTA Board feel grateful for the efforts to upgrade many key aspects to Deane's Children's Park (aka Dragon Park), and applaud significant improvements for accessibility, a much needed separate toddler area, and refreshed spaces. However, there are some parts of the plan that our community feels need additional community feedback.
Dragon Park is an important component to the Island Park Elementary School ecosystem. We tromp through its paths on the way to school everyday, use it for outdoor and experiential learning, hold class parties and extra recesses there, and gather to play after school. Every family at Island Park signs a waiver at the beginning of the year allowing for impromptu "field trips" to the park. Over the years, it has become worn, but no less loved, by the children and teachers that use it on a daily basis.
The City of Mercer Island designated Dragon Park as a “Neighborhood Park” under the Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (PROS) Plan that was approved by City Council in 2022. The City Council re-affirmed the neighborhood connection to Dragon Park when they approved the Scope of Work for Dragon Park in March 2025. Community engagement was laid out in a 5-Part “Community Engagement Plan”. The fifth and final element of that plan was as follows: “Engagement with park neighbors and community groups to share project information, promote events, and seek feedback on the Site Plan.”
To our knowledge, the Park Staff has not sought feedback from “park neighbors” on the Site Plan. We are providing that feedback now to the City Council prior to their vote on the plan.
Proposed Cost of the Plan
At a time when the city is considering difficult budget priorities, including possible cuts to MIYFS and senior services and desperately needed capital improvements, we are concerned about the proposed $9 million budget for a neighborhood park. We recognize that this is a phased-plan over many years and that the staff intends to apply for grants, but this Site Plan’s budget is out of step with the cost of similar projects throughout the region.
The Island Park PTA respectfully asks the City Council to:
Reevaluate the proposed budget for Dragon Park and direct staff to re-assess the Site Plan through a fiscal perspective and develop phases that align with community priorities.
Direct staff to reduce the cost of this plan to be more in line with similar projects in the region and to better reflect city budgetary priorities.
The Island Park PTA would like to see more accessibility at all Mercer Island Parks and are concerned that a budget that is inconsistent with similar projects at one park may impact the city’s ability to provide increased accessibility at all parks.
Increase in Impervious Surfaces and the Environmental Impact of those Surfaces
As written, this plan proposes a three-fold increase in impervious surfaces in Dragon Park and the removal of 8 trees. This is contrary to feedback during the "Community Engagement" process where residents repeatedly asked for the "natural" feel of the park to be preserved. The Island Park PTA understands the necessity for impervious surfaces in order to increase access for all members of our community and believe that nature and accessibility can and should co-exist in Dragon Park.
The Island Park PTA respectfully asks that the scope of this project be scaled back, specifically:
Scale back the size of proposed blended play areas while maintaining accessibility to play structures.
Eliminate the expanded parking lot and provide an accessible, safe passageway to the Island Crest parking lot.
Evaluate repurposing/renovating the existing infrastructure (bathrooms, picnic shelters, fences).
Prioritize retaining healthy trees when creating future detailed designs
Increases in impervious surfacing should be carefully considered, with prioritization for what is necessary for accessibility.
Age-focus of Play Equipment
We appreciate that this plan includes a much needed separate toddler play zone. Currently, 50% of the play equipment in Dragon Park is rated for 5-12 year olds. The new play equipment will be 54% rated for 2-12 years olds, with only 7% rated specifically for 5-12 year olds. The Island Park community does not feel the proposed 2-12 year old play structures are developmentally challenging for older kids. According to the PROS Plan and Census Data, there are approximately 885 children in the 0-5 age range on the Island and 5,900 in the 6-18 age range. Additionally, Dragon Park sees heavy use from the 5-11 year old elementary school children next door to the park. The Island already has a great playground that is skewed heavily toward younger children at Mercerdale Park.
The Island Park PTA respectfully asks that the ratio of play equipment better reflect the age distribution of children on the Island and those neighboring Dragon Park.
The Island Park PTA supports separate play zones for toddlers and older children.
Character of the Park and Phases of the Plan
The beauty of Dragon Park is its ability to inspire imagination—perhaps it comes from the sword ferns and mossy covered tree branches. It is a safe space for kids to build tree forts and search for fairies. In many cases, the equipment becomes secondary to the games of imagination that only an unstructured, natural environment allows for our students. In a world that is increasingly overstimulating and over-curated, Dragon Park is a place for our students to find grounding in their natural surroundings. And we believe that every child should have the ability to access this magical place.
The top three community priorities outlined in the Site Plan Report were an accessible restroom, a new picnic shelter and a more accessible parking lot. None of those priorities are reflected in the first phase of the plan. Instead, the first phase proposes a 30-foot metal play structure that is contrary to the look and feel of the “Woodsy Wonders” plan that the community voted for. Additionally, the accessible pathway to the school from the playground is not in the first phase of the plan. Currently, there is no significant increases in accessibility outlined in the first phase, which is the only phase that currently has funding.
The Island Park PTA respectfully asks that the plan be revised to reflect the nature of the park and the priorities of the community as evidenced by the Community Engagement surveys provided in the Draft Site Plan Report. These priorities should be addressed in the First Phase of the plan and include:
Accessibility and inclusionary components, including prioritizing accessibility from the school to the park.
Preserve the woodland nature of the park by choosing equipment made of wood and natural materials, removing the Forest Surprise equipment from forested areas, and minimizing impact on trees, understory, and habitat.
Renovate the picnic shelter and existing bathroom to increase accessibility, including allowing for an adult-sized changing table and ramps.
Replace the 30-foot metal tower with wheelchair accessible treehouse-style play structures as originally proposed and voted for by the community as their top choice.
The Island Part PTA believes that nature is for everyone. We also believe that accessibility and inclusion should be the foundational standards across all parks on Mercer Island. We are grateful for the opportunity to make Dragon Park an example of how to merge both nature and accessibility. We also hope that the City Council will carefully consider public input from the entire community before approving the proposed Site Plan. We respectfully request that, if needed, the Parks Staff be allocated the funds necessary to make changes to the proposed Site plan based on the feedback provided in this letter. We remain hopeful that the Parks Staff can propose a plan that the entire community can champion together and the City Council can approve in a timely manner.
Learn More:
Read more about the proposed improvement plan for Dragon Park here.