KCLS Board of directors

Greetings,

Please cease any discussions with King County in regards to transferring any ownership or easement rights in Puget Sound Park prior to the annexation of the park area into the City of Burien.  The proposed action is akin to buying (Burien as buyer) a car (Puget Sound Park), having the dealer (King County) sell all four tires to a third party (KCLS) prior to delivery and offering the original buyer the price of one tire!  If not illegal, it is certainly morally bankrupt on the part of the dealer.  Any third party would also be morally if not legally culpable for taking possession of property that rightfully belongs to the original buyer.

The possibility of purchasing the rights offered by King County to the Puget Sound Park should be negotiated in an open manner with input from the affected communities.  With the upcoming vote on the Library levy lid, KCLS can ill afford to alienate voters in White Center, Boulevard Park and Burien.

Sincerely,
Douglas and Maria Sykes
Burien

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5 replies on “LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A Letter To The KCLS Board Re:Puget Sound Park”

  1. While the lost of the park to the community would be unfortunate for residents living near this local park. The park is sitting on property owned by King County and is King County’s to use as our elected county council feels is necessary to best serve the residents in the North Highline Area. In this case that use may be the replacement of aging less cost effective local libraries (ones that are unable to provide current user with the same service as currently enjoyed by the users of the new Burien branch) with a single modern facility that better serves the community. Given that all local governments, and local goverment agencies, including the City of Burien are facing budget shortfalls making the best use of available resources is a must. Especially in these tough times it is the responsibility of these (our) elected officials to ensure the highest and best possible use of all available resources is made that serve the largest segment of the community and makes the best use of taxpayer dollars. The replacement of an aging facilities that are too small to meet the user needs combined with an underutilized park appears to meet the criteria of making the best use of available of local resources. Verses either more costly expansion and remodels existing facilities with their related higher operating costs or purchasing additional property that takes money away from the local tax base. It should also be remembered that the City of Burien has not annexed the North Highline Area and has stated that it will delay annexation until the economic climate is better, until that time governance of the area is the responsibility of King County.

    1. I would like to reply to Mr. O’Brien’s statement. Granted the land Puget Sound Park is sitting on is currently owned by the county. The county has pressured local cities to annex these unincorporated areas. The county has also said it will beging cutting services to these areas. Burien stepped up to the plate and proceeded to have an annexation vote and it overwhelmingly passed. Burien was set to announce March 2, 2010 as the official date of annexation when the county announced their latest surprise with Puget Sound Park. I live near the park and I fail to see how building another library will better serve the residence of North Highline. Once a park is gone, it’s gone.
      As far as closing the neighborhood libraries in White Center and Boulevard Park to build another new library just 2 miles from the big new library in Burien, how will that better server the citizens of North Highline? Do we expect the citizens of White Center and Boulevard park to walk to first avenue or should they take the bus? The library had a bond issued to remodel both of these libraries or have we forgotten that? Furtherore, why did the library board not bother telling the citizens of their plans to close these libraries? The library board operates under a veil of secracy that the citizens need to protest against. As much as I hate to say it, Burien is doig the right thing in delaying annexation. A delay will cost the county between 200,000 and 400,000 per month. If the county sees that Burien is serious about delaing annexation, maybe they will see that selling Puget Sound Park is not such a good idea.

  2. I think the city should sue King county, and Mr Triplett. Also rethink the annexation. King County is just using Burien to solve their own budget crisis. As In King County Exec- “what do we do to load off some parks we aren’t even taking care of?” Get burien to annex the area, and say here have these parks- only we don’t tel them that we are in a top secret, super quiet deal to sell off the parks before the annexation” Burien needs to quit being Kurt Triplett’s tool.

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