Well, there's a little more to it than ripping out a shrub. Though the land is technically public property--as are 148 other "street ends" around town--the residents on either side of the Mercer property pay the city a combined $50,000 annually to use the land, which they've meticulously landscaped with trees, lush grass, and a laurel hedge at the curb. In order to revert the Mercer Street end to public use, Rowe and her allies--including folks who successfully opened street ends in Leschi--need to follow a detailed process that includes securing neighborhood support. "If the public wants it, the public gets it," says Rowe (who's been called a "socialist" for her efforts). "But [the city] is making us jump through hoops."
The adjacent residents are also throwing up a few hurdles. One, Mike Slade, hired an attorney to look into formally taking over the property. If the city council approves this "street vacation," Slade could buy the land, killing Rowe's campaign to reopen the space. "They want to create a public good, but they're not able to accurately gauge how it will affect someone else," says Slade, who's contacted the mayor's office about the issue.
Slade points to the neighboring Harrison Street end, a few hundred yards south, as exhibit A for why Mercer's shouldn't be public. Folks who live around the Harrison Street end--a popular waterfront spot nicknamed "Hidden Beach"--say it's plagued with partying, and they often have to call the cops. Slade's neighbors have signed a petition saying Hidden Beach needs to be cleaned up. "These places are magnets for people who want to evade [law] enforcement," Slade says.
Rowe and the other Mercer Street end fans aren't deterred by the opposition. They're waiting on city legislation that would close street ends at dark, to deter parties. Rowe hopes that will help garner more support for opening the Mercer Street end. They've already got a thumbs-up from City Council Member Richard Conlin. "All the street ends should be open," he says. "Fundamentally, it's the right thing to do."
