Council reviews schematic design for public safety and maintenance facility; staff to return with siting analysis and procurement recommendation

The Mercer Island City Council on March 4 reviewed schematic designs for the proposed Public Safety and Maintenance (PSM) facility that would consolidate police, emergency operations and public works functions on the Southeast 30th Street campus. City Manager Jesse Bond and the project design team presented proposed building footprints, storage systems and options for future expansion.

The presentation laid out how the consolidated site would shift public and staff parking to the north, place the PSM building just south of that, and keep operations and yard areas to the south. Aaron Young of Northwest Studio said the proposed buildings would increase covered and enclosed space compared with existing conditions — from roughly 50,000 square feet of existing building area across the consolidated site to about 74,000 square feet in the proposed configuration — and add enclosed warehouse and racked storage to replace a mix of hoop tents, sheds and uncovered laydown areas.

Why it matters: the project is a high‑cost capital effort that must balance operational continuity during construction, long‑term fleet and evidence storage, constraints created by critical‑area buffers on the southern yard and a likely ballot/bond timetable. Council discussion focused on siting the building on the parcel, yard capacity, storage strategy and procurement approach.

Key council and staff discussion points

- Yard, storage and building footprints: The team identified about 2.25 acres on the northern edge of the consolidated site as the primary reserve for future expansion. Existing covered surfaces in the public works yard total roughly 12,200 square feet; the design would add enclosed warehouse volume and covered storage to protect equipment and materials year‑round. The designers recommended using a mix of traditional pallet racking, cantilever racking for long materials, and selective high‑density/mobile racking in the warehouse to improve operational efficiency.

- Vehicles and conditioned space: Staff said only a subset of vehicles require heated indoor storage to remain operational during freezing weather. Vehicles explicitly cited were the street sweeper, hydro‑excavator (Vactor), and liquid deicer. The project includes maintenance bays, indoor storage zones and a decant/wash facility; the design team described capture and exhaust systems for indoor maintenance to avoid fumes in office areas.

- Lower yard lid options and costs: Designers presented two approaches to expand covered laydown area above the lower yard: a large structural “full lid” (covering about 38,000 square feet) estimated to add roughly $6–8 million, and a lighter, right‑sized partial lid of about 8,000 square feet estimated at roughly $1–2 million. The team noted a full structural lid could approach the technical threshold for a parking garage with additional code and mechanical requirements.

- Future expansion and siting: Two siting scenarios were discussed: (1) keep the building sited toward the back of the parcel to preserve more uncommitted land in front; or (2) move the building forward now to create a larger secure area behind it and simplify future lateral expansion. Council members were split; several favored preserving the north‑side reserve (scenario 1) while others said pulling the building forward could give more predictable options later.

- Procurement and value engineering: City Manager Jesse Bond said he will recommend pursuing the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GCCM) alternative delivery method and bring the council a timetable and request for state approval tied to the bond/budget timeline. Bond said bringing a contractor to the table earlier can reduce surprises and help manage long lead‑time materials. Council member Jacobson urged an early decision: “the sooner we make that decision, the better.”

Staff direction and next steps

- Staff will continue targeted, department‑level reviews: project staff will meet with public works personnel in March to review operations layout and with Mercer Island Police Department staff in two sessions planned for March 11 and 12 to refine PD space and secure‑area needs.

- The project team will return with additional analysis on building siting, a pro/con review of pulling the building forward versus preserving the northern reserve, and a recommendation and schedule for GCCM procurement (staff indicated a return to the council in April for deeper follow‑up). Bond said the team will also refine cost estimates and phasing planning before moving to a bond measure package.

- No formal council vote was taken on siting or construction delivery at the March 4 workshop; council members provided direction and initial preferences on expansion options.

Ending note: The council emphasized operational continuity during construction and the need for additional detail on logistics, phasing and long‑term flexibility before any final scoping or ballot decisions.