Mercer Island to prioritize repairs at Clark and Groveland beaches in new infrastructure plan

Mercer Island city staff presented a joint infrastructure plan for Clark Beach Park and Groveland Beach Park at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on May 1, outlining a near-term program of repairs, permitting coordination and community engagement focused on aging overwater structures, shoreline erosion and accessibility improvements.

The infrastructure plan replaces a previously envisioned master plan and targets improvements the city expects to implement over the next 10 to 12 years, allowing early permit coordination and grant applications, project manager Sarah Blubas said. "A park master plan is really that big long‑term vision ... whereas an infrastructure plan is really meant to be near term. So we'll be looking at improvements and enhancements that need to be implemented over the next 10 to 12 years," Blubas said.

Why it matters: both parks have shoreline features built in the 1960s–1970s that city consultants judged to be deteriorated. Staff…