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Families ask Mercer Island trust for memorial benches; board says policy review needed
Summary
Several Mercer Island residents asked the Open Space Conservancy Trust for commemorative benches in Pioneer Park. Staff and trustees said the requests raise fairness and siting concerns and agreed to research existing bench inventory, contact donors whose 15-year terms are expiring, conduct site visits and place a bench-policy review on a future work plan.
Three families asked the Open Space Conservancy Trust on July 16 for memorial benches in Pioneer Park, and staff and trustees agreed the requests should be addressed through a broader policy review rather than one-off approvals.
Sally Moore asked the trust to “get a bench put right behind my parents' house, on the South End of Mercer Island,” describing decades of family history connected to Pioneer Park and asking that the bench be sited near the location her family uses for reflection. Another speaker who identified herself as Lindsay asked for a commemorative bench to honor her mother, noting June Lindsay’s multi-decade role in preserving Pioneer Park and that the family submitted a bench application in December. Mackenzie Smith Jr. asked for a bench in the southeast quadrant to honor his parents and described family ties to the park.
Lizzie Stone, natural resources program manager, told the board that the bench-donation guidelines generally provide 15-year donation terms and that the staff’s map identified two candidate locations for future benches; she also said none of the public-requested spots shown tonight had been identified on staff’s map as appropriate siting locations. Staff said they will attempt to contact donors whose benches are reaching or past the 15-year term to confirm whether they want to renew plaques or free up locations for new donations.
Trustees raised several criteria to guide future decisions: connection to park use and interpretation; visitor traffic and visibility; topography and slope stability; clustering and density of existing benches; and parity among applicants. Council member Lisa and other trustees argued against granting isolated one-off exceptions before the trust develops clear parameters; several trustees recommended a staff walk-through of Pioneer Park sites and asked staff to return with a proposed work-plan item and more background information. Trustee Marie Bender and others urged consolidating signage and clarifying expectations in the application to avoid confusion.
Trustees and staff discussed other memorial options — co‑sponsored plaques, tree donations, or shared plaques — as possible alternatives if bench siting proves infeasible. Staff suggested incorporating a bench-policy review into a 2027 guideline update so decisions would be consistent, and trustees supported more comprehensive background research before approving additional bench placements.
The trust did not approve any new bench placements at the meeting. Staff and trustees agreed to collect inventory and expiration dates for existing benches, complete outreach to current donors, perform site visits, and report back with recommendations and a proposed work-plan item.
Next step: staff will compile bench-inventory details and present options in a future meeting; trustees suggested a walk-through of candidate locations prior to returning the topic to the board.
