Appearance Statement August 4, 2020 Mercer Island City Council Meeting
Meg Lippert
Mercer Island
My comments this evening focus on the historical importance ofthe Mercer Island Recycling Center to the Mercer Island community, and on the protection of this legacy going forward.
As you may recall, my Appearance last week ended with my saying that I had been given the original architectural drawings for the Recycling Center by Jim Adkins, the architect.
Just a few minutes after I finished speaking, Gareth Reece, the Senior Project Manager for the City of Mercer Island, called. He had just heard my comment that I had the drawings, which he had been searching for at City Hall!
With the help of Robin Russell, the plans were delivered to City Hall for Gareth to copy electronically and share with Anais Adamska, the Project Architect selected by the City for the Thrift Shop/Recycling Center renovation.
I am delighted that Osborn Architects, Inc., was selected for this project, and specifically that Anais Adamska is the Project Architect. When I asked her if she had worked on historical renovation projects, she responded,
QUOTE I have worked on many historic projects and am excited to bring the recycling center back to use. ENDQUOTE.
Some of the many historic projects she has worked on over the past 10 years, are:
- Miller Hall renovation at Western Washington University, and
- Renovations of two historic buildings in Pioneer Square Seattle, as well as
- many renovations of historic commercial spaces in Europe.
So I am very excited that the renovation of our own historic Mercer Island Recycling Center will be in her hands.
In addition to the architectural drawings, Anais mentioned that photographs of the construction would be helpful to the structural engineer. I have shared with her a selection of historic images, along with a link to the 19-minute video entitled “SAVING A PIECE OF THE EARTH,” which is about the origin, construction, operation, and history of the Recycling Center
I selected just 5 of these images to share with you this evening. These are the tip of the iceberg—I have 4 storage boxes of files, photographs and records of the Recycling Center vision, planning, construction and operation that were given to me by Mike Leavitt after his father, Harry Leavitt, passed away.
Although you have the pictures, forwarded to you by courtesy of the City Clerk, without video access the public cannot see them. However, the images, along with the text of this and other Appearances, are available for the public to view at: www.protectMIparks.org.
I’ll read the captions of the photographs now.
(1)These 4 members of the Mercer Island High School student “Committee to Save the Earth,” who worked on building the brand-new Recycling Center, are shown in front of the structure just after its completion in 1975. On the left is Bobby Morgan, and third from left is Bill Hochberg. Please let me know if you can identify the othertwo.
(2) Governor Dan Evans awards the 1976 “Washington State Environmental Excellence Award” to MIHS student Bill Hochberg, representing the student Committee to Save the Earth.
(3)Cover image for a video about the history of the Mercer Island Recycling Center—"Saving a Piece of the Earth & Spending Waste”
(4) Architect James E. Adkins, Jr. AIA CSI, gives Meg Lippert his original architectural drawings for the Mercer Island Recycling Center on May 8, 2017.
The award-winning Recycling Center is an intergenerational, volunteer-based community effort that has served Islanders well for over 44 years, and we hope that the City Council will continue its purpose and legacy long into the future.