Open Space Conservancy Trust

About

The Mercer Island Open Space Conservancy Trust (OSCT) is a board of volunteer citizens appointed by the City Council to oversee open space properties placed in the trust as passive, low-impact recreational open space (park).  The Trust manages these properties to protect, maintain and preserve them as natural, scenic and recreational resources, maintaining all their ecological, scenic, aesthetic, scientific, and educational attributes for the current and future residents of Mercer Island in perpetuity.

The Trust was established by ordinance on February 10, 1992 (amended May 6, 1996). Open space is defined by the ordinance as a property of potential natural or scenic resources that has been reserved by the Mercer Island City Council for passive and low impact forms of use, such as walking, jogging, and picnicking.  Currently the Trust owns and oversees the management of Pioneer Park and Engstrom Open Space.

The Open Space Conservancy Trust plays an instrumental role in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department to create, coordinate and implement letterboxing. Click here to learn more about letterboxing.

See below to download the Trust's bylaws. 

Meetings

The OSCT meets semi-annually on the third Thursday of January and July, and as needed, at 5:00 pm. Board and Commission meetings are being held in a hybrid format. The public is welcome to join meetings in person at Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island, or remotely using Zoom.

Agendas, Minutes, and Videos

Visit the meetings page to view Open Space Conservancy Trust meeting agendas, review past meeting minutes, or find links to meeting videos. 

Staff Liaison

Sam Harb
Parks Operations Manager
(206) 275-7874
sam.harb@mercerisland.gov

Membership 

The Board of Trustees consists of seven voting Trustees. Six of the Trustees are citizens-at-large who reside in the city and shall be appointed by a vote of the City Council during a regularly scheduled meeting. They are appointed to four-year terms, June 1 - May 31. One Trustee is a City Council member, appointed by the Mayor and serves for a two-year term.

Click HERE for an application.

Members