LETTER: Burien's Bumpy 30-Year History with King County

Previous councils "understood that King County was not a friend to Burien."

by David Wagner.[NOTE FROM EDITOR: Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Burien-News or Daniel Media. If you wish to submit a story, photo, article or letter, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.]Here is what I've gleaned over the years about the relationship between King County and the City of Burien.Six previous councils to the last two, spanning a period of nearly 25 years, have understood that King County was not a friend to Burien.Burien incorporated because King County was not controlling land use and was putting high-density apartment buildings throughout the city without regard to established neighborhoods or sustainability. Many of these buildings still form the basis for current land use, with an intensity many neighborhoods never foresaw.King County did not fight for Burien or any other little cities against a third runway even though it was clear to them and us that a huge environmental burden would grow and get much worse.King County wanted to get White Center off its books due to its cost and inability to sustain itself. When Seattle dropped the plan to annex this area due to an estimated 92 million dollar infrastructure and other immediate needs, much of that due to county neglect, the County moved to Burien to annex what became known as "Area Y."While Burien's planning estimated only 35-40 million in near-term cost, this was still very unaffordable and would have left Burien's budget in a tailspin in ten years once the 5 million per year of help from the state ran out.During negotiations between the council and King County, a sincere request was made by former member Jack Block Jr. for help from the county on extra police and infrastructure repairs, things Burien would be responsible for once Area Y was absorbed. The County declined.Burien can hardly afford itself, let alone another financially unsustainable high-needs area. Burien had already annexed Boulevard Park and has never been able to fulfill promises of improvements due to cost and its small economic base.The founders knew that Burien's survival would require careful due diligence, building a more significant economic base, and limiting low-income development. SeaTac does not have these problems; it has a very strong economic base.Many members of the last two councils were either young children during most of this period in Burien's history or have been uninterested in learning about this sad legacy. But the County has not forgotten how Burien was once their favorite dumping ground for every ugly land use.It would be sad to see Burien go broke and end up crawling back to the County, which has used the last two councils' ignorance for its own benefit.-David Wagner, Burien ResidentFROM THE EDITOR: If you would like to submit a story, photos, an article, or a letter to the editor, please contact us. Include your name, phone number and email so we may contact you to verify who you are, even if we do not publish your name. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!