REPORTER
Mercer Island www.mi-reporter.com
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2015 WEDNESDAY, MARCH4,20, 2013| |75¢ 75¢
Contest of close calls
Super Bowl heartbreak
Elementary School Boundary meeting tonight The Mercer Island School District will hold a public hearing tonight at 6 p.m. at the Islander Middle School library regarding the setting of new boundaries that will determine where new students will attend elementary school. For more, contact dean. mack@mercerislandschools.org.
Kearse’s ball-handling skills brought Hawks within inches of victory By Gregg Bell,
The News Tribune
Reflections awards are Feb. 11 The Mercer Island PTA Council is sponsoring the annual Reflections awards on Feb. 11 at the Mercer Island High School Commons. Student artwork will be on display beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact ivysuzuki@me.com
New construction may be put on hold Council vote will determine if city will issue new permits By Katie Metzger
kmetzger@mi-reporter.com
City officials held an open house on Jan. 29 to discuss the comprehensive plan update, Town Center visioning and preparation for Sound Transit’s light rail – all of which have potential to significantly change the North-end of Mercer Island. While the city explores and explains these processes with the public, some citizens asked the
City Council to consider a moratorium on development in the Town Center. The issue was discussed at the Council’s planning session on Jan. 23 and placed on the agenda for their Feb. 2 meeting, after the Reporter deadline. If adopted, a moratorium would be imposed “on the submission or acceptance of applications for any building permits or any other land development permits or approvals for major new construction ... in the Mercer Island Town Center zone.” The ordinance wouldn’t affect any existing and valid vested rights and would only apply to permits
for major new construction. ‘Save our Suburbs’ group leader Tom Acker said that “the goal of the moratorium is only to slow the process down long enough to make sure there is proper definition in the codes to protect the community’s interests.” Some Islanders worry that adding residents in the Town Center, many who will live in mixed-use developments like the proposed five-story Hines project, will overload city infrastructure, roads and schools. Acker said that residents are receiving emails from a Hines developer stating that “a moratorium would stop our project, causing the city to lose a civic plaza, public parking and potentially an upscale grocery store.” “If the tradeoff is a specialty grocer versus increased density,
HAWKS | PAGE 3
REPORTER
The annual Youth and Family Services fundraiser, the Giving from the Heart Breakfast, is at 7 a.m. next Wednesday at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center. Proceeds go to support YFS programs. For more visit www.mercergov.org.
Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson display one of their signature transfers at Super Bowl XLIX.
Mercer Island
Giving from the Heart breakfast is Feb. 11
Genna Martin / Everett Herald
STARTING AT $39/YEAR
The Concerned Citizens for the Mercer Island library are meeting at 7 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center to plan and coordinate outreach on updating the library. See more at www.libraryremodel.org.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Sports Illustrated cover-boy star almost did it again. Almost. With 1:14 remaining in Super Bowl XLIX and Seattle down 28-24, quarterback Russell Wilson looked for the wide receiver with whom he’s shared a bond since their rookie minicamp of 2012 — when Jermaine Kearse was an undrafted backup just trying to make the Seahawks’ kicking teams and Wilson was a third-stringer drafted in the third round.
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Citizens’ library group to meet tomorrow
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