The Burien City Council meeting on Monday, July 15, 2024 began with a proclamation for Parks and Recreation Month, highlighting the importance of parks for residents.

King County presented ideas for a new development near the transit center, aiming for affordable housing with potential community art space.

Council reports addressed available shelter beds for the homeless, a successful partnership for homeless outreach, and a neighborhood matching grant program.

Public comments included concerns about losing Police Chief Ted Boe and the closure of Burien CARES over the Fourth of July holiday.

The council also approved a letter supporting the Climate Commitment Act, and renewed a lease agreement with a local Toyota dealership.

Proclamation for Parks & Recreation Month

The proclamation for Parks & Recreation Month recognizes the physical and mental benefits to people of all ages who live near parks. Recreation programming provides after-school and summer activities for kids, youth sports, and environmental education, as well as programming for adults and seniors. In addition, the proclamation states that proximity to parks increases property values and promotes tourism. Parks also ensure the ecological vibrancy of the community.

The Burien Community Center offers activities for all ages throughout the year. You can stop by in person, or check out their website.

King County Development Coming To Downtown

King County will be starting the process of seeking bids to develop their lot that is adjacent to the Burien transit center and parking garage. This lot is about ¾ acre, and could accommodate a 5-story building with 100-130 housing units above a commercial space. The housing is likely to be affordable housing for those earning 50% to 60% area median income (AMI). The county has $10 million dollars allocated for the development. King County has met with the community and together came up with priorities for the development that include affordable family housing, with potentially an art space on the ground floor.

According to the presentation, construction alone will take 18 to 24 months, but the project is possibly three years out from that stage, with things like the bidding and permitting processes to come first. Mayor Kevin Schilling reiterated multiple times that the city will do whatever it can to speed along this process and hopefully get this built in fewer than five years.

It was mentioned that Metro plans to electrify the entire bus fleet by the year 2035, so homes adjacent to the transit center should be cleaner and quieter in the near future.

It was also mentioned that Metro plans to remove the public restrooms from the transit center soon. Mayor Schilling asked them to seriously reconsider, saying bathrooms are necessary at that location. The response from Chris Arkills of King County was that it was out of their hands, and that “society as a whole has a bathroom problem” right now.

Council Reports

Councilmember Linda Akey once again shared the many organizations throughout King County that continue to have dozens of treatment beds available for the people living on our streets.

Deputy Mayor Stephanie Mora said that in less than 24 hours after starting a new contract with The More We Love, the organization had helped five of the people in the tent encampment to accept assistance which successfully got them off the street.

City Manager’s Report

City Manager Adolfo Bailon shared an update on Burien’s matching grant program. Community groups can apply for a $5,000 grant, which they must match either in funds, goods, or labor. Four programs were selected for the grant, including public art through Mural Masters, a beekeeping program at New Start Community Garden, a Lunar New Year celebration, and a Solar Punk festival. The festival is on August 10 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Shark Garden. Find out more about these grants and apply on the city’s Neighborhood Grants Program information page.

Public Comments

One speaker concurred with Councilmember Akey about the availability of shelter beds. Another gave thanks for the new earlier meeting time. There were mixed opinions about the city losing access to the $1 million dollars offered by the county over a year ago. The money, intended to be used to provide temporary emergency housing for the homeless, will be used by King County elsewhere for the same purpose.

One speaker was dismayed to lose Chief Ted Boe, who was recently hired by Des Moines. They shared concerns about who Chief Boe would be replaced with. It was also mentioned that the city should prioritize getting its own police force as soon as possible.

Another speaker expressed frustration that Burien CARES was closed July 4th & 5th, during which time many beloved pets went missing due to fireworks. This person said it has been a long time since there has been a report on CARES. As it’s paid for by residents, it should be clear what CARES is doing and offering to the community.

Maggie Larrick, Managing Director of Burien Actors Theatre, shared two upcoming events in local parks. The comedy, Fallen Angels, will be performed at Hilltop Park on Sunday August 4th at 5 p.m., and in town square on Sunday August 11th, also at 5 p.m. The performance is free, but viewers should bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Council Approves Letter In Support Of Climate Commitment Act

Council heard a brief presentation from the Burien Airport Committee on an initiative which will be on the November 5th ballot. Initiative 2117 would repeal important aspects of the Climate Commitment Act. The committee asked that an open letter be written by the city manager, stating that Burien supports the Climate Commitment Act and is against Initiative 2117.

According to the presentation, the Climate Commitment Act has raised two billion dollars over the years, money that goes towards improving the quality of life for residents. Money from this act was supposed to fund the replacement of thousands of faulty port packages on homes impacted by the airport, but if it is repealed there will only be funding for 30 port package replacements– out of around 9,000 port packages out there. Council gave unanimous approval for the letter, and Burien may be the first city to draft such a letter.

Toyota Lease Agreement Renewed

Council voted 5:2 to renew a lease with the Toyota dealership for a parcel that is considered to be the city’s most valuable property. The old lease lasted for ten years, and brought the city $2,000 per month in rent. The new lease is for a five year term, and will cost the dealership twice as much in monthly rent. The money goes into the city’s general fund.

Council members who opposed this include Hugo Garcia and Sarah Moore, who wanted to discuss potentially better uses for the property. Mayor Schilling agreed that such a conversation is important. The council will have a discussion soon on the best use of the property in the long term. The new lease allows the city to terminate early with six month’s notice, should they decide to put the land to other use.