To address state housing requirements and encourage faster residential development, the City of Burien is considering changes to local zoning rules that would make it easier to convert existing buildings into housing units.
The proposed amendments to the Burien Municipal Code are intended to comply with House Bill 1757, a state law approved by the Washington Legislature in 2025 that requires cities planning under the Growth Management Act to allow more residential conversion projects inside existing buildings.
According to city documents, the proposal would reduce regulatory barriers for projects that add dwelling units within existing residential, commercial and mixed use structures.
Planning Commission Hearing will be Tuesday, May 27
The Burien Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, May 27, at 5:30 p.m. Final adoption by the Burien City Council is anticipated in July.
City officials said the state law was adopted in response to Washington’s housing shortage and the large number of underused or vacant commercial buildings across the state.
“The Washington State Legislature finds that the need for additional housing exceeds the supply available,” the city’s environmental checklist states. “Yet, many existing buildings, particularly commercial buildings, sit underutilized or vacant.”
Under the proposed ordinance, the city would be prohibited from imposing some development regulations tied to residential conversion projects, including certain design review requirements, density regulations, parking mandates and permitting standards.
The proposal would apply to projects adding housing units within an existing building envelope in Burien’s residential and mixed use zones.
City documents state that projects converting existing interior space into housing would not require transportation concurrency studies and would not be required to add new parking under provisions of state law.
However, qualifying projects would still be subject to transportation impact fees under Burien Municipal Code Title 19.35.
The city issued a State Environmental Policy Act Determination of Nonsignificance for the proposal, concluding the ordinance would not create probable significant adverse environmental impacts.
According to the environmental checklist, the proposal is not expected to significantly affect environmentally sensitive areas, increase pollution or conflict with shoreline protections because future projects would still be required to comply with existing local, state and federal regulations.
The city is required to comply with House Bill 1757 by June 30, 2026.
Public Comment Deadline is May 27
Written public comments on the proposal may be submitted to the city prior to the May 27 hearing to Natashak@burienwa.gov.
