Mercer Island parks report vandalism to sculptures and major boat-launch cleanup after December flooding

Parks operations manager Sam Harb told the Open Space Conservancy Trust on Feb. 12 that a vehicle collision in October damaged four metal sculptures and a concrete wall at the Aubrey Davis Park gateway; the sculptures were removed and a contractor hired to repair the pieces and the wall.

"The sculptures have been removed, and we have our restoration company that will be repairing them," Harb said. He added that the city has filed an insurance claim and expects repairs to be completed this month, and that staff will coordinate with the arts council on whether the current site remains appropriate.

Harb also updated trustees on the Mercer Island boat launch, which closed temporarily after flooding in December produced large amounts of log and debris. "We've estimated about 800 cubic yards of material have been removed," he said, and the parks maintenance crew recorded about 190 working hours on the cleanup. Portions of the ramp and some underwater concrete remain closed pending repairs.

Trust staff said the boat-launch cleanup has involved collaboration with marine patrol and that they will continue working on reopening the ramp for the spring boating season. Harb encouraged more proactive public communication about the closure and said the city has posted updates on its Instagram account and website.

The parks update also covered completed playground work at 1st Hill Park, installation of monofilament fishing-line disposal tubes in partnership with Fish and Wildlife, replacement of water fountains, and a near-complete trails-signage inventory update. Harb summarized the volunteer program’s 2025 year in review and listed upcoming volunteer events in March.

Trustees asked for additional outreach about closures and opportunities to include trustees on mailing lists for e-bike public-engagement notifications. The trust’s next regular meeting is April 16, 2026.