The Burien City Council will consider strengthened protections for immigrants, proposed North of NERA zoning regulations, federal community development funding, an affordable housing permit fee deferral and more when it meets Monday, Sept. 28.
The regular meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Burien City Hall (map below), and can also be viewed live on Comcast TV Channel 21, via Zoom or on the city’s online livestream.
Download the full agenda packet here.
Agenda Highlights
PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
- a) Week Without Driving Proclamation: Councilmember DeVito
- b) South Correctional Entity (SCORE) Presentation: Casey Headley, Finance Director, Devon Schrum, Executive Director, SCORE
- c) 2026 Annual Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map Amendments: Chaney Skadsen, Senior Planner
- d) Neighborhood Business Zoning Code Amendments (North of NERA) – Intro: Chaney Skadsen, Senior Planner
PUBLIC COMMENT: Notice to all participants: Pursuant to RCW 42.17A.555, campaigning for any ballot measure or candidate in City Hall and/or during any portion of the Council Meeting – including the public comment period – is prohibited.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
COUNCIL REPORTS
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
PUBLIC HEARING
- a) Public Hearing on the Proposed Use of FY2027 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds: Anyah Zupancic, Human Services Manager, Daniel Robben, Deputy PaRCS Director. Community members may provide public comment on this item in person or virtually via Zoom. Community members may raise their hands or use Zoom’s “raise hand” feature, and they will be called on in no particular order to provide a comment. Please state your name at the beginning of your comment. To provide a written comment, please email your comment to cityclerk@burienwa.gov.
BUSINESS AGENDA
- a) Discussion and Approval of the FY2027 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Admin, Human Services, and Capital Projects: Anyah Zupancic, Human Services Manager, Daniel Robben, PaRCS Deputy Director
- b) Presentation of 2027 Preliminary Revenues and Assumptions: Casey Headley, Finance Director
- c) Discussion and Approval of Resolution No. 533, ecoThrive Housing Building Permit Fee Deferrals: David Johanson, Senior Planner
- d) Discussion of Detention Center Moratorium: Bob Larson, Interim City Manager, Fernando Llamas, Administrative Services Director
- e) Discussion and Approval of Resolution No. 542, Immigrant Support: Bob Larson, Interim City Manager, Fernando Llamas, Administrative Services Director
- f) City Council Planning Calendar: Bob Larson, Interim City Manager
Leave to the new majority of the City Council to do more virtue signaling and come up with more non enforceable illegal immigrant policy.
it is amazing how much disinformation is spread by the council and staff in these meetings. The “week without cars” proclamation stated that 1/3 of the US population does not have a drivers license. That statistic includes children. A more meaningful statistic is that of all US Citizens 18 and older, 91% have a drivers license – because they have real jobs and places they need to go. They dont work for the king county and get to work from home like some of the council members. More reliable and safe mass transit options are worth investing but stop using misleading statistics to fit the preferred narrative.
In addition the planning department proposed correcting zoning errors in the three tree point neighborhood due to environmental constraints – the exact argument that residents had been making for over 2 years. The planner did not address that the same issues apply to Lake Burien shorelines. All of this is probably a moot point since Burien does not control development along the shorelines – Department of Ecology does, and they will never allow the type of development the city desires.
The NERA development is also devastating to the current residents in that area and will destroy home property values to the benefit if developers looking to grab the land cheap. The city planner mentioned that petitions to change the plans for updates to the 2027 comprehensive plan are an option for residents but failed to mention the staggering cost of applying for changes. Last year the residents of shoreline areas were told that an application to suggest changes to the plan would be over $10,000 per application.
It may be time to consider a class action lawsuit against the city for erroneous zoning that has no chance of being implemented but has increased property taxes which benefit the city revenue.