Mercer Island commission backs Dean’s Children’s Park site plan, asks for guardrails on accessibility and forest character

The Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Commission voted Feb. 5 to recommend the Dean’s Children’s Park site plan to the city council after a nearly three‑hour discussion that centered on balancing inclusive design with preserving the park’s natural, woodsy character.

Shelby Perrault, Capital Parks Manager, presented the preferred 'Woodsy Wonders' concept and a 300‑page site plan the city prepared after a year of public engagement. Perrault said the plan is a long‑term, phased vision intended to guide improvements over 10 to 20 years and to position the city for grant and donor funding. "We're here seeking two specific actions from the commission," Perrault told commissioners: a recommendation of the site plan to council and direction for the chair and vice chair to prepare a handoff memo.

The commission’s discussion focused on accessibility and surfacing, tree…