Grand Central Bakery, a longtime bakery in Seattle and Portland, is building its newest location in downtown Burien, at 626 SW 152nd Street, in the building formerly occupied by Restaurante CentroAmericano.

Employees from the bakery were on hand at the finish line of last Sunday’s Cove to Clover 5k race, passing out Oatmeal Stout Cake and bread with jam. Rumor has it that some runners even ended up “hitting each other with baguettes.”

It’s nice to see an established bakery come to Burien, and on a personal note, we have many fond memories of eating at their original location in the Grand Central Building in Occidental Square in downtown Seattle.

Here’s a pic of their Burien space taken Tuesday (Mar. 16), currently under construction but moving towards a summer opening:

Here’s a blurb from their website:

COMING SUMMER 2010!

Freshly baked artisan breads, hand-made pastries and delicious sandwiches will soon be available in charming downtown Burien.

Soon we’ll pick up our hammers and get to work building a café that is as warm and inviting as the food we serve.

We can’t wait to meet you!

Here are some links:

• Grand Central Bakery website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter

The City of Burien recently mailed out a letter to approximately 1,250 business entities located or working in the North Highline annexation area, in an effort to provide the newly-annexed businesses with an overview of some of the opportunities available in Burien, such as the Taking Aim at Graffiti (TAG) program or the “pre-submittal meetings” offered by Community Development.

The letter also provided businesses with notice of some of their responsibilities, such as obtaining business licenses and updating their tax code on Department of Revenue forms.

Also, according to the city, as of April 1st, Comcast subscribers in the annexation area should be able to view Burien Channel 21 and Puget Sound Access on Channel 77 – and as we all know, nothing makes one feel more like part of a city than being able to watch live, exciting council meetings.

Here’s the text of the letter:

RE: City of Burien Annexation

Dear Business Owner,

I would like to welcome you to the City of Burien. As you probably know, on August 18, 2009, a majority of voting residents in the proposed annexation area, located in the southern portion of North Highline, chose to join the City of Burien. As a result, your business will officially be located in Burien as of April 1, 2010.

As a business new to Burien, your local opportunities and responsibilities will change on April 1. I encourage you to reach out and take advantage of some of our local resources. For example, Burien sponsors a Taking Aim at Graffiti (TAG) program, which provides graffiti removal to commercial properties – free of charge. Another City service you can take advantage of is the “pre-submittal meetings,” where you can meet with a City planner prior to expanding or moving your business. That way, you are aware of zoning & land use issues, parking, setbacks, signage and design criteria before you lease, buy or alter a new space.

There are also several local business organizations offering networking, collaboration and public input:

• Discover Burien: Steve Gilbert 620 SW 150th St. Burien, WA 98166 (206) 433-2882 www.discoverburien.com Promotional marketing. Meets 2nd Wednesday of each month at Burien City Hall 6:30 pm.
• Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce Nancy Hinthorne 14220 Interurban Ave. S. Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 575-1333 www.swkcc.org Regional voice and business networking. Monthly meetings at various locations.
• Burien Business & Economic Development Partnership (BEDP) Dick Loman City of Burien Economic Development Manager (206) 248-5528 dickl@burienwa.gov Advisory Board to the Burien City Council. Meets 2nd Friday of each month at Burien City Hall 7:00 am.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC): I especially want to call your attention to our Small Business Development Center at Highline Community College. Experienced business professionals are available by appointment to confidentially work with you on expansion, marketing, or financial needs you may have – also free of charge. You may contact Zev Siegl at (206) 878-3710, ext. 5151 or zsiegl@highline.edu.

Burien Business License
In addition to new opportunities, there are also new responsibilities. A Burien Business License is required to do business within our City limits. Business licenses are valid August 1 – July 31. For the remainder of this business license year, from April 1 through July 31, the license fees will be waived for newly annexed businesses. However, starting August 1, 2010, owners of annexed businesses will be expected to comply with the licensing requirements. For more information, please refer to the Burien Municipal Code Chapter 5.05, available on our website at www.codepublishing.com/wa/burien, or call (206) 988-3714.

Burien Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax
The City of Burien collects a .05% business and occupation tax on gross receipts earned within the City. For example, a business with $100,000 in gross receipts would pay $50 in Burien B&O taxes. However, there is a threshold, which means that businesses with annual gross receipts of less than $100,000 are not subject to the tax. The tax is remitted quarterly and forms will be mailed to you. For more information, please refer to the Burien Municipal Code Chapter 3.11 or call (206) 988-3714.

State and Local Sales and Use Tax
The amount of state and local sales and use taxes you will be collecting and remitting through the Department of Revenue will not change, but the local reporting code will change so that Burien receives its share of the taxes. For taxes collected on or after April 1, 2010, the local code is 1734, instead of 1700. For more information, please contact the Washington Department of Revenue at www.dor.wa.gov.

Our goal is to assist and welcome our new businesses and residents during this transition. For additional information on how the annexation will affect business owners and residents, please visit our annexation section on the Burien website, www.burienwa.gov/annexation, or call the Burien Annexation Information Line at (206) 436-5555. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,
Mike Martin
City Manager

Here’s the actual letter:

The annexation of southern North Highline becomes official in just about two weeks (April 1st), and the mainstream media is starting to pick up on it.

With the annexation of this area, Burien will become the 21st largest city in Washington – just above Olympia – with a population of about 45,000. Currently the city ranks 31st in the state.

Seattle’s KING5 News just did a story on it, saying:

The city takes a big step forward on April 1, when it annexes 1,700 acres of unicorporated King County. Overnight, Burien’s population jumps by 14,500 people.

Voters approved the annexation last year by a 55% to 45% margin.

And this quote from City Manager Mike Martin:

“We pride ourselves in Burien for being responsive. We’re a small staff but we’re very responsive. So when people have problems they have somebody they can call.”

Here’s the video:

The City of Burien will be holding “Planning Commission special meeting” on the Shoreline Master Program this Tuesday night (Mar. 16th) at 7pm at city hall.

If you are at all concerned or interested in what plan the city is developing for its shoreline and waterfront, you should attend.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Shoreline Master Program Planning Commission special meeting.

WHEN: March 16, 2010 beginning at 7pm.

WHERE: Burien City Hall, 400 SW 152nd Street, 1st Floor, Multipurpose Room/City Council Chamber; Burien, WA 98166

CONTACT: (206) 248-5510 or via Email

INFO: According to the city’s website:

To continue working on Shoreline Master Program update.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Will Burien’s Shoreline Master Program Timeline Be Extended?
• LETTER: Response To Councimember Brian Bennett’s Lake Burien Stance
• Burien Residents Air Concerns At Packed Shoreline Program Meeting
• Councilmember Brian Bennett: Open “Limited Secure Access” To Lake Burien
• Shoreline Master Program Meeting Tonight; Some Misinformation Debunked
• Educational Meeting On City’s Shoreline Program Is Saturday At Mick Kelly’s
• LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Burien’s Shoreline Master Program Requires Citizen Involvement

Recently, King County Executive Dow Constantine spoke about his “Blueprint For Reform” in a speech to the King County Council where he laid out “a host of immediate and long-term challenges.”

He challenged the Council and the public to:

• invest… in a 21st century transportation infrastructure,
• protect… our health and the most vulnerable in our communities,
• maintain… excellence in public safety and justice for all,
• and partner… with our cities and regional governments, [and] business and labor leaders, to focus on creating jobs and opportunity.

Next, referring to his draft of the first-ever King County Strategic Plan, he cited four elements of his reform:

1. Service excellence
2. A quality workforce
3. Wise financial stewardship
4. A robust public engagement

And now, a public Opinionnaire® Survey through SocialCapitalReview.org has been issued about his “Blueprint for Reform,” where citizens are being asked to take a survey online here.

According to a press release from SocialCapitalReview.org:

One of the under-reported items of the Executive’s “blueprint for reform” is the element for “robust public engagement”. We focus on this element of reform at our new Social Capital Review blog and are highlighting a special online survey to gage the public’s reaction to specific quotations from his speech.

The special Opinionnaire® survey was created by the Forum Foundation “in the spirit of public service to the citizens of King County”. It is based on the same tools used by the Countywide Community Forums — an existing public engagement program from the King County Auditor’s Office that has been used since 2008 for critical feedback from anyone who lives or works in the county.

Registration of King County Citizen Councilors is at CommunityForums.org.

So, if you could spare a few minutes, and like to have your opinion heard, we encourage you to take the survey by clicking here.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien’s Shoreline Master Program will be in the spotlight again tonight (Tuesday, March 9) when the Planning Commission meets at 7pm to continue working through the details of proposed revisions to the document.

Tonight’s meeting comes in the wake of recent requests by residents of Burien’s affected shoreline areas – Three Tree Point and Lake Burien – that the city council extend the time for planning commission review of public input before sending a final draft to the council.

A petition bearing the signatures of 401 shoreline residents requesting an extension of the review process was submitted by Carol Jacobsen to the city council at its March 1 meeting.

“We’re still confused about what’s going on,” Jacobsen told the council at that time. “We are requesting an extension of time for review of the Shoreline Master Program before the planning commission submits it to the city council.”

She said the shoreline residents want a six-month delay. Here’s a copy of her cover letter from the city’s public record:

But, Mayor Joan McGilton told The B-Town Blog last week, “The timing is up to the planning commission. Let the process move forward [at the planning commission]. The last thing the council needs to do is get involved inappropriately.”

Asked whether council members might consider setting aside the draft revised Shoreline Master Program for a month or two after receiving it from the planning commission, before proceeding with their review of the document, McGilton added, “That’s up to the council” to decide.

She said the council will look to city staff for advice on whether to proceed with their discussion of Shoreline Master Program revisions soon after receiving the draft document, or whether to postpone consideration for a few weeks.

Commenting on the possibility of a time extension, planning commission Chairman Joe Fitzgibbon said, “I think we’re just going to move through the document at the same pace as we are now. When we’re done we’ll forward it on to the council. It’s not going to take six months….

“I think people who saw us at our Feb. 23 meeting see how serious we are … I think at this point we’re doing a good job of taking into account all the ideas and concerns we’ve heard.”

The planning commission stopped receiving public testimony at that meeting, and began the process of working through citizen comments point by point.

Written comment is still being accepted, addressed to either the Burien Planning Commission or Senior City Planner David Johanson, at 400 SW 152nd St., Burien, WA, 98166, or by emailing DavidJ@burienwa.gov.

Although a general time frame for Shoreline Master Program review indicates the planning commission will complete its work by the end of March and forward the draft document to the city council, which then will adopt a final plan by July and submit it to the state Department of Ecology for final approval, Fitzgibbon suggested this is not a strict timetable.

The planning commission is “not trying to guess when we will finish,” he said. “We would like to finish soon, but we will take as long as it takes. We’re not looking at any date and saying, ‘that’s our deadline.’”

Requests for the city council to extend the time for planning commission review of the draft plan were repeated at their March 8 meeting.

Tades Kisielius, an attorney representing the Burien Marine Homeowners Association, urged the city council to add another public hearing to the process or to extend the time for planning commission review, noting that the petition with 400 signatures had made such a request.

There has been “no real substantive discussion … on significant regulations,” he said. These include a 65 foot setback from the average water line, non-conforming structures, and public access.

The homeowners want the planning commission to work out these and other concerns before the plan goes to the city council, Kisielius added.

Shoreline resident Dennis Reed said they wanted the opportunity to review a final planning commission draft that includes all changes before it is sent to the city council.

City Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak later asked City Manager Mike Martin to direct the planning commission to extend the review process – apparently overlooking the fact that such a request must come from the council and neither staff nor an individual council member.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien City Council members agreed on Monday night (March 8th) to consider a resolution expressing to residents of northern North Highline the city’s interest in eventually annexing this unincorporated area.

The formal resolution will include wording that declares “the Burien City Council intends to advance annexation in [north North Highline] as soon as reasonably possible after successfully completing the annexation [of south North Highline].”

This is the initial draft wording for the “Now therefore” conclusion of the proposed resolution that City Manager Mike Martin and council members agreed on during Monday night’s discussion of Burien’s possible annexation of the remaining North Highline unincorporated area.

Only Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak, who also opposed the annexation of south North Highline, demurred.

Burien council members will consider the resolution, which will be drafted by Martin, at their March 22 meeting.

Voters of south North Highline approved in August annexation by Burien. The annexation of that area becomes effective on April 1.

In the meantime, the city of Seattle has expressed renewed interest in annexing the north North Highline unincorporated area.

The proposed resolution is a response, in part, to requests by some north North Highline residents for a display of interest by Burien in their unincorporated area, to assure residents there that they have an alternative to annexation by Seattle.

Additional details will follow.

Burien Arts (BA) has been part of the area arts scene, community activities and has “lived” in the “Little Blue House” Art Gallery in Dottie Harper Park for nearly 50 years, since the early 1960s.

Sadly, its time in that house is reaching its end, as it will be closing shop the end of March.

According to a press release:

“The model the founders developed served the community and the organization well for many years. Changes in demographics, growth / development in the city and relocation of the key facilities that have drastically reduced gallery traffic has led us to examine how Burien Arts can better serve the community.”

“Because of all the changes that have and are taking place in Burien, the BA Board of Trustees is using this as an opportunity to really reexamine our role in the community,” said John Unbehend, President of the BA Board. “The repositioning will be both a physical (meaning we’ll eventually be moving to a more visible / accessible location) and a directional one (how we bring a sustainable set of visual arts / services to Burien).”

Some of Burien Arts past activities have included:

• Burien Art Gallery
• High School Art exhibitions
• Artist United partnership
• Strawberry Festival
• Shakespeare-in-the-Park
• Numerous musical events

Its current mission statement is as follows:

The Burien Arts Association Mission is to engage, enrich and entertain all the communities, generations and visitors to the Burien / greater Highline region through creative and innovative arts programming.

The press release goes on to say:

We anticipate that one out growth of the repositioning will be expanding to include arts educational and enrichment programs that compliment those offered by the area schools and the city of Burien.

The questions we have to ask the community and answer for the organization are the fundamental ones that journalist use when they develop a story:

• Who? Who are people we are serving in the Burien / Highline area (artistic, scholastic, ethnic and age groups in our area)?
• What? What are the artistic (visual, performing, literary) activities that the community wants and will support to allow BA to be a sustainable force in our area.
• Where? Where should BA be physically located to be accessible to the greatest number of people:
  • foot traffic, drop-ins and event participants for a new gallery
  • participation in community events (festivals, farmers market, Burien Days)
  • accessibility for people with disabilities
  • Students (elementary, middle school, high school and college).
• When? When is now! With the new town center, building projects, new restaurants and relocation of the Strawberry Festival we have to get a grip on our future now.
• How? How do we find a new gallery facility that meets the community needs? How to we provide a set of products (art shows, Shakespeare, poetry / literary experiences, educational opportunities) the community will eagerly provide support – attendance, participation and financial.

The first step will be to gather as much input from the community members as we can. This will take the form of:

• Discussions with art groups and individual artist in the community to learn how they want to participate.
• The individuals that we serve in the community through our web site, email burienarts@gmail.com and public meetings.
• Working with the merchants and Discover Burien to find how we can best support one another.
• Join in close discussions with the City of Burien (parks and rec., council, city management) to make sure we’re clear on how we can support and reinforce their activities in the arts so that BA is not duplicating their fine efforts.

This data will provide the foundation for decisions on how we reposition ourselves to better serve the Burien / Highline community!

- John Unbehend for the Burien Arts Board of Trustees
3/7/10

The current show at the Burien Arts Gallery is “Page Turner: Contemporary Artist Books,” a free exhibit of handmade artists books, which continues through March 19.

Hours are Thursday-Friday Noon – 5 pm, Saturday 11 am – 5 pm and Sunday 11 am-4 pm, and the gallery is located at 421 SW 146th Street.

This could be your last chance to set foot in this historic, quaint “Little Blue House,” as we’re not yet sure of what the future holds for it.

The City of Burien will be conducting a special census of the newly-annexed southern portion of the North Highline area between March 12th and April 25th.

This area, which contains approximately 14,100 residents, officially becomes part of Burien April 1st. Residents approved annexation during the August 18, 2009 election.

As part of the annexation process, the City is required to conduct a special census of all housing units. Households in the annexation area will be visited by a census worker wearing a fluorescent vest and a City of Burien identification badge between March 12 and April 25, 2010.

The only information required in this census is the names of all individuals residing in a household. Annexation residents may also provide this census information directly, at any time after March 12th, by calling the Burien Census Hotline (available 24 hours a day) at 1-800-635-6594.

From what we understand, this work is actually being contracted through a company called Calm River, which, according to their website:

Calm River Demographics focuses on providing comprehensive census, demographic and mapping solutions for cities, counties, non-profits, universities, libraries, healthcare and human service organizations.

This company was scheduled to interview potential applicants last Friday last week (see our previous post here).

According to the city:

Any information provided will be held confidential. Cooperating with this special annexation census ensures that the City of Burien receives a full share of state funds allotted for essential public services.

This special annexation census is in addition to the U.S. Census conducted by the federal Census Bureau later this spring in which residents will receive a 10-question census form in the mail. More information about the federal census is available at http://2010.census.gov.

Residents should be aware that neither census will require them to provide their social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information or pay any fees. Residents should not provide such details to anyone who claims to be a census worker and asks for this kind of information. Legitimate census workers will have identification badges with a phone number that residents can call if they would like to verify their identities.

Residents may contact the City at (206) 241-4647 with questions or concerns.

“Creating a Sustainable Gardening Community” will be the main topic at the next Sustainable Burien meeting at 2pm on Sunday, March 14th at the Burien Library.

The speaker will be Craig Bye, who will talk about:

• Creating a sustainable gardening community.
• Info about Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle (CHOSS), their mission, goal, and community outreach
• Mentoring programs and how the community can get involved

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting will feature Craig Bye, who will speak about creating a sustainable garden community.

WHEN: Sunday, March 14th from 2pm to 4pm; doors open at 1:30pm.

WHERE: Multipurpose room of the Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd.

INFO: From a press release:

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE GARDENING COMMUNITY

Our speaker will be Craig Bye, who will talk to us about:

• Creating a sustainable gardening community.
• Info about Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle (CHOSS), their mission, goal, and community outreach
• Mentoring programs and how the community can get involved

Check out their website at: http://www.gleanit.org/index.html

The remainder of the meeting will be covering our projects, such as our community gardening efforts and accomplishments; various projects toward the Wild Strawberry Festival (i.e., Bike Rodeo, Film Festival, our booth and free wild strawberry plants).

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Arbor Lake is one, small, unhealthy lake.

Within the next few weeks, the City of Burien will annex this lake into the city. The lake’s health problems, in large part, come from its public access. A couple times per month, citizen scientists visit Arbor Lake to perform visual assessments of the environmental and physical conditions around the lake. The reports from those visits are not good. Currently, King County has a clean-up crew at Arbor Lake seven days per week. The crew reports that there is litter (bottles, cans, paper, plastics, paint cans, used condoms, needles, etc.), biological wastes (poop, vomit), damage to the park equipment and gang tagging daily to clean up. They worry that Burien will not have the financial resources to provide this seven day a week routine just to maintain the lake and surrounding area at its current level. The worst damage happens to the lake on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is a time at which Burien typically does not contract for park clean up.

Photo courtesy Arbor Lake area resident Colleen West.

A number of the neighbors around Arbor Lake say that they would never consider swimming in the lake because the water quality is so poor. Several drainage pipes empty into the lake and there is a lot of non-point pollution entering the lake. Arbor Lake is obviously infested with fecal coliform bacteria (E.coli) because of the amount of poop that is around the lake at times. Remember E.coli is that stuff that sickened and killed people who ate infected food. The major cause of this E.coli is not from birds. It is from humans and dogs pooping in and around the lake. During the summer, the lake has major infestations of invasive weeds that choke out the oxygen in the lake and make the water impossible to sustain any fish. At that time, the water is not healthy for the birds to use either.

Photo courtesy Arbor Lake area resident Colleen West.

The Native Plant society has attempted to help the lake by planting some native plants but clearly a great deal more needs to be done to help this small lake get back on the road to recovery. Most of the homes on the east side of the lake are heavily gated to protect the owners from public intrusion into their homes and property. No Trespassing signs are everywhere. The road running along the west side of the lake has had to be blockaded due to car racing and crimes. The King County Sheriff frequently has to visit the lake. Like Lake Hicks, Arbor Lake has fared poorly with public access. The City of Burien will be picking up a big financial bill, if it plans to care for and restore Arbor Lake.

Photo courtesy Arbor Lake area resident Colleen West.

What Burien really needs to provide for citizens is a swimming pool where they can learn to swim and enjoy the pleasure of water exercise. Most small lakes do not do well (water health wise) having heavy public access. Arbor Lake and Hicks Lake have not been able to meet the demands that the greater public has on them and perhaps that is not their real ecological purpose. These fragile bodies of freshwater are not sketchy line drawings on paper, art work, public swimming pools or public garbage cans. They are living, functioning natural systems that deserve respect, understanding, protection and care. Do not plan on having your kids swim in Arbor Lake soon for both your kids’ and the lake’s health.

– Chestine Edgar

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

What better way to prepare for the March 14th “Cove to Clover” 5k fundraiser run than by crawling in the fundraiser Pub Crawl on Friday, March 12th, where participants can feel good about going from pub to pub to help benefit the Highline Area Food Bank?

That’s right – there just isn’t a better way, so be sure to mark your calendars for 6pm+ Friday March 12th for what is sure to make a “great excuse for your poor upcoming performance on Snake Hill, with only one day to recover.”

For a $10 donation, you’ll get a commemorative keepsake bib qualifying you for “crawl” specials (our fave is the $1 bag of chips at the Hobnobber!), along with a passport and a map. Your goal will be to collect visitation stamps on your passport from at least five of the 13 official crawl stops (see the list below, which includes specials at each). Your stamped passport will serve as your entry to the door prize drawing @ 11 pm at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

And if this Pub Crawl is anything like the now-legendary Brat Trot one from last October, be prepared for one of the best nights in Burien you’ve ever had; just be sure to have a designated driver or a safe way to get home if you plan to imbibe.

Keep in mind also that you need not drink alcohol at every pub – you can just ask to get your passport stamped!

Here are the details:

WHAT: The 2010 Cove to Clover Pub Crawl fundraiser benefiting the Highline Area Food Bank.

WHEN: Friday, March 12th beginning at 6pm.

WHERE: Starts at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub at 6pm, with an 11pm return time for prize drawings.

COST: $10 donation gets you a commemorative, keepsake bib, which you’ll wear proudly as you “crawl” from pub to pub.

INFO: From the C2C website:

PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! PRE-PLAN YOUR RIDE HOME OR HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER

Enjoy “crawl specials” offered at each official stop.

You can also expect special entertainment on the route.

Collect at least 5 official crawl stamps and you’ll qualify for the door prize drawing at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub @ 11pm. (must be present to win).

All proceeds will benefit the Highline Area Food Bank.

Best Leprechaun Contest: Gift certificates to Mick Kelly’s for 1st ($100), 2nd ($75) and 3rd ($50).

For you Normandy Parkers: Consider riding the free shuttle from Normandy Park’s Archery Bistro. Check in with them (website here) for the schedule and shuttle stops. While they are not an official crawl stop, we understand they will be offering a specials during and prior to the first run into Burien. You can park you car there and let them do the driving. You’ll also be able to purchase an official crawl number at Archery Bistro, in case you decide to make this your launching point.

Here are the 13 designated pub crawl stops – remember, you only have to get stamped at five of ‘em:

Specials:

• $3 Draft beer
• $4.50 House Wine
• Food Special

Specials:

• $2 PBR Tall Boys $2 Bacardi Silver Bottles
• $3 Giant Pizza by the Slice

Entertainment:

• Three Tree Point Blues Band 9P

Specials:

• Free Espresso Shot

Specials:

• Free Wine Taste
• Free Menu Taste

Specials:

• $3 House Beer
• $3 Apps off Happy Hour Menu

FILIBERTO’S

Specials:

• $2 Draft Beer
• 1/2 price Calamari and pizza

Entertainment:

• RLS Band

Specials:

• $2 Budweiser
• $1 Bag of Chips!

Specials:

• $5 House Margarita
• $5 Tacos (3 Beef or Chicken Tacos)

Entertainment:

• Live Mariachi Band at 6:30

Specials:

• $2 beer
• $4 sangiovese
• $1 Pizza slices

Specials:

• Sour Apple Jello Shots $2
• Irish Potato and Banger Stew $3

Entertainment:

• Cornerstone

Specials:

• $3 Alaskan Amber Pints

Specials:

• $2 Irish Nut Brown Ales
• Corned beef sliders

Specials:

• $6 Wine by the Glass

More info available at the Cove Clover Pub Crawl website.

And if you haven’t yet registered for the 5k run, click here.

Two costumed “Leprechauns,” along with two Cove to Clover organizers, “crashed” Monday night’s Burien City Council meeting to chide councilmembers to register for the March 14th 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank.

So far though, only one city employee has registered – councilmember Lucy Krakowiak, who was rewarded with a commemorative snake last night.

As we reported Feb. 25th, this friendly registration “challenge” is being thrown down to the City of Burien in an attempt to offset city fees that are being charged to stage the charitable, non-profit, local fundraising event that’s being organized by a 100% volunteer committee.

And now, some eight days after the challenge was first issued, there’s still only one city employee/councilmember registered.

Here are some pics taken at last night’s leprechaun crashing:

For more information on the March 14th Cove to Clover 5k fundraiser race, including how you can register, click here to visit its website.

The Burien Art Gallery will be hosting “Page Turner: Contemporary Artist Books,” a free exhibit of handmade artists books, beginning this Friday, March 5th at its Dottie Harper Park “Little Blue House” location at 421 SW 146th Street.

The exhibit features original work from 22 artists whose work has been shown in galleries throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Art lovers throughout the Puget Sound area are invited to visit the exhibit and also to lend support to the Burien Arts Gallery which plans to close temporarily following the show while it searches for a new location (EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ll have further details on the gallery closing soon, so stay tuned).

The  exhibit will include original works from the following artists:

• Ken Botnick
• Diana Guerrero-Maciá
• Regin Igloria
• Chandler O’Leary
• Carrie Iverson
• Rachel Dennis
• Mandolin Brassaw
• Nicolette Ross
• Molly Brooks
• Lloyd McMullen
• Neil Clark

Several university faculty will also be featured, including:

• Jana Harper and Amy Thompson (Washington University, St. Louis)
• Inge Bruggeman (Oregon College of Art and Craft)
• Jessica Spring (Pacific Lutheran University)
• Don Olsen (Art Institute of Portland)
• Megan Sterling (Harrington College of Design)
• Valerie Wallace (Portland State University)

According to a press release:

Visitors will experience “poetry, surprise, fury and wit” in the time-honored visual form of the handmade artist book.

Artist, educator and exhibit curator Kelda Martensen also noted that the artists featured are bringing a fresh look to this time-honored visual form.

People “will be both delighted and surprised,” she said of the innovative exhibit. “Each artist book sets the viewer on a creative journey. Visitors will find themselves in the stirring position of interpreter to a powerful conversation between artist and page as images and narrative unfold.”

A complete listing of artist biographies and images of selected artist books are available at http://contemporaryartistbooks.blogspot.com/.

The exhibit will be available March 5 – March 19, and the hours are Thursday-Friday Noon – 5 pm, Saturday 11 am – 5 pm and Sunday 11 am-4 pm.

Admission is FREE.

WHAT:  “Page Turner: Contemporary Artist Books” exhibit

WHERE: Burien Arts Center, located at 421 SW 146th St, Burien WA 98166

WHEN:  Friday, March 5th through Sunday, March 21st

COST: FREE

INFO: Exhibit info at http://contemporaryartistbooks.blogspot.com/, Burien Arts: http://burienarts.org

Looks like a consultant to the City of Burien has some temporary job openings for “door-to-door census taking” in March. According to a Craigslist Ad, this is NOT a federal census job – tt is an annexation census job for the City of Burien.

The pay is said to be $12 per hour, with flexible hours and a 3-5 week contract.

Interviews will be held on Friday, March 5th from 10:30am until 2pm.

From what we can tell, the job is actually for a consulting firm called Calm River, which says on its website:

Calm River Demographics focuses on providing comprehensive census, demographic and mapping solutions for cities, counties, non-profits, universities, libraries, healthcare and human service organizations.

Here’s the exact listing from the Craigslist Ad:

Temporary Job Openings in Burien, WA – $12 per Hour

The City of Burien is conducting a door-to-door census in March, 2010. Work hours are flexible and include evenings and weekends. Work will begin on March 11 and continue for 3-5 weeks.

Applicants must be willing to go door-to-door collecting basic census information and have their own transportation.

Applicants must be able to read a basic street map, have neat handwriting, be willing to pass a drug test and show proof of car insurance. All materials and supplies will be provided.

If you are interested please e-mail your resume to Richard Miller: Rick@CalmRiver.com

Interviews will be held on Friday, March 5th from 10:30 am until 2:00 pm. No telephone calls please.

Frequently asked questions:

How much do I get paid?
$12 an hour plus mileage (pays for your gas) and all the snacks you can eat. We also give you a vest, badge, pencils, and everything you need to work for free…

Can I work only the hours I want?
Yes – you can work only the days you want

How many hours a week can I work?
Up to 40!

What hours do we work?

• Weekdays – we start at 3:00 in the afternoon and work until about 7:30 or 8:00 pm
• Saturdays – we start at 10:30 in the morning and work until about 5:30 or 6:00 pm

Is this a Federal (United States) Census Job?
This is NOT a federal census job. It is an annexation census job for the City of Burien.

How do I apply?
Just e-mail Rick@CalmRiver.com with your contact information and a resume.

Location: Burien, WA

Compensation: $12 per Hour

This is a part-time job.

Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.

Please, no phone calls about this job!

Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Email: Rick@CalmRiver.com

For more area Job listings, check out our Jobs Page, which is continually updated with local employment listings.

There will be a FREE, low-tide, nighttime beach walk tonight (Fri., Feb. 26th) at Seahurst Park Beach from 7:30pm to 9pm.

These are always fun, adventurous family (or creative “date night”) outings, where residents can explore the unseen lifeforms that live all around us, yet are seldom seen.

Here’s a blurb from a flier:

Night Low-Tide Beach Walk

MOONLIT WAVES LAPPING THE SHORE

Imagine you’re on the shoreline at a lovely low tide. Rocks that are covered all year lie exposed to view while the sea denizens remain happily cold and wet in the dark.

All around you, people waving flashlights are intently studying the amazing and abundant sea life as local naturalists help you discover the wonders of your Puget Sound shoreline.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Featured Education family event nighttime beach walk at Seahurst Park Beach.

WHEN: Friday, Feb 26th from 7:30 pm to 09:00 pm.

WHERE: Seahurst Park Beach, Burien.

CONTACT: Barb & Darrell Williams via email: darbarwill@gmail.com; phone: (206) 901-1964.

INFO: From a flier:

Join People For Puget Sound, the Burien Environmental Science Center and Seattle Aquarium in a night low-tide exploration.

Adventure with us out into the intertidal zone at our night time beach walk.

Trained naturalists will wow you with intertidal stories of nature-in-action as rocks that are normally covered with water are exposed.

Sea stars, barnacles & crabs of all sorts are just the beginning of what we’ll see.

Bundle up – We adventure rain, sleet or cold so don your winter clothes, boots and a flashlight for best results.

Bonus – we’ll show you the best way to save the critters you’ll see with direct action through our photo postcard campaign.  Be sure to get your picture taken “standing for clean water” before you head down to the beach.

Family-friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.

Reservations recommended.

BUNDLE UP AGAINST THE WEATHER AND BE SURE TO BRING:

• Bright flashlight with good batteries
• Wading boots (you’ll be in ankle deep water)
• Warm hat & dry gloves

Free and family friendly!

The organizers of Cove to Clover, the 5k fundraiser race for the Highline Area Food Bank coming March 14th, are issuing a “friendly challenge” to the City of Burien, including councilmembers and city employees, to sign-up to offset city fees that are being charged to stage the event.

Fees that are not being charged by the other city involved in the race, Normandy Park.

Did we mention that this event is a fundraiser, and last year raised $12,000 for the Highline Area Food Bank?

And that John Nelson, the main organizer, is one of four recipients for the City of Burien’s 2010 Citizen Community Leader awards being presented March 6th?

And did we mention that the City of Normandy Park is NOT charging any city fees for the event, which starts at their Community Club, so they have not been challenged?

Oh yeah, I guess we did.

Here’s the “friendly challenge” language from the Cove to Clover website:

Burien City Council: You just got served!

Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Council members,

Thanks for listening to my request last night to waive some fees for the race. I now understand that the fees can’t be waived and have been given some sage advice about how to offset these fees in future year.

However, for this year I have a proposal.

I happened to be at the NP Council Meeting when Rose Clark issued a friendly challenge to the Normandy Park Council to enter a team for the very worthy Relay for Life.

Since I’m new to this game, I’m stealing a play from your own playbook. From Normandy Park, I’m issuing my own friendly challenge to the Burien City Council and City Staff.

I’m challenging every member of the council to secure at least 2 registrations for the 2010 Cove to Clover. I especially encourage you to personally walk or run the race yourselves and to bring a new friend. It will be a lot of fun and I’d love to see our leaders all out there partaking in the goodness.

When you find a victim that is willing to register, make sure they enter “BTOWN” in the “Reg Code” field of the online or paper entry form to get official challenge credit. You can make an extra donation to the cause while registering which will also go to the challenge. You can pick up a paper form at Mick Kelly’s or register at www.covetoclover.com.

For your convenience, I setup a webpage to track the progress of the challenge (www.covetoclover.com/btown). It will be updated daily.

I know your team can do this and will have fun in the process.

Thanks for your consideration,
John Nelson

PS: Next year, we can get NP and Burien into a head-to-head competition but I’ve learned to take baby steps first.

Click here to see how much the City has raised so far (updated nightly).

[EDITOR'S NOTE: as of 6pm Thurs. Feb. 25th, the total amount raised by the City of Burien = $0.00].

To register and for all the race info, visit www.covetoclover.com.

It’ll be interesting to see if, and how, the City of Burien will respond…

• Will they suddenly find a way to waive the fees?
• Will city employees suddenly sign-up en masse?
• Will we see Mayor McGilton and Mike Martin running down SW 152nd?

We’ll keep ya posted…

This letter is in response to the article posted about Brian Bennett and the Shoreline Advisory Committee that he served on (read the original story here). In this article, Brian claims that he has his own higher priority for what should be the purpose of Shoreline Master Program. The State’s priorities are, “protection of the environment so that there is no net loss, enhancing public use on publicly owned shorelands while protecting private property and public safety and the coordination of shoreline development around the state to protect the shorelines.”

Perhaps his misunderstanding of what are the priorities for the Shoreline Master Program stem from the fact that he did not attend the 50% of the four critical writing meetings. And the last meeting he attended, he came unprepared without his document that was to be discussed. He was unaware of the functioning rules of the committee and did not know how to take citizen input at the meetings. Perhaps this is why citizens did not get heard at this level. These issues of attendance, not bringing your homework to the meeting and not knowing the operating rules are of importance when you are acting as the chair of the committee, as Brian was supposed to be doing.

Additionally, had Brian read the Appendices to the draft document he was reviewing, he would be able to answer the question he posed in the blog article, “How to create public access to Lake Burien without impacting property owners around the lake?” The consultants to the study noted that there is visual access to the lake from several streets. These points could be further enhanced by the city to provide visual public access points to the lake. Whether the city will pursue them is another question and the real one that he should be addressing as a councilmember. The City of Burien has a number of beautiful public access points to the city’s shorelines which they currently do not secure or protect adequately. Jim Branson has written a number of blogs about this problem with the city not being willing to spend any money on enforcement and protection of shorelines and parks. The city has a legal obligation to protect them under the Shoreline Master Program.

Lastly, the Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center is a wonderful asset to the state, community, children and families. It requires high security for its clients. The last thing that they need is a public park next to them. This will breach their security. Brian knows that the Center has not put their land up for sale as of yet and they have clearly stated they do not want a public access next door to them. During the same time that the City of Burien issued a public statement that it was not seeking a public access to Lake Burien, behind closed doors, Brian directed the city manager to contact the Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center to again try to buy their land. Ruth Dykeman repeated they were not interested. But still again in this latest article, Brian makes a public issue of wanting to buy their land again. This demonstrates a complete lack of respect for private property rights and does not follow the concept of transparent government practices. This councilmember needs to do his homework and brush up on the etiquette of good manners with regard to the property of others.

- Chestine Edgar

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

Burien Little Theatre has teamed up with local business The Jungle Gym to offer a “Kids Night Out” on Friday, March 5th so parents can easily attend a performance of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”

“Midsummer” is Arne Zaslove’s 1950s Rock ‘n’ Roll adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which continues at BLT through Sunday, March 21st (read our previous coverage here).

According to a press release:

Want a night at the theater and can’t find a babysitter? Problem solved! The Jungle Gym has teamed up with Burien Little Theatre to offer a “Kids Night Out” in conjunction with the theater’s performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream on Friday, March 5.

On March 5 before the show drop the kids off for 3 hours of free play, games, snacks and a movie! The Jungle Gym is located at 191 S.W. 152nd Alley, Burien, WA 98166 and the cost is $25 per child from 7:45-11:00 p.m. This place is full of fun and exciting things for kids ages 3 and up to do, like the zip line, tumble track trampoline with pit, beams, bars and much more!  Reservations are required, and kids must be potty-trained to attend.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in a gymnasium at Athens High School on graduation day 1957, and in a neighboring forest. A group of magical fairies intervene and meddle with the lives of two young couples for whom “the course of true love never did run smooth.” A live band and rockin’ tunes make this a treat for all ages!

Show dates & times:

• Feb. 26 at 8:00 p.m.   Friday
• Feb. 27 at 8:00 p.m.   Saturday
• Feb. 28 at 2:00 p.m.   Sunday Matinee
• March 5 at 8:00 p.m.   Friday
• March 6 at 8:00 p.m.   Saturday
• March 7 at 2:00 p.m.   Sunday Matinee
• March 12 at 8:00 p.m.   Friday
• March 13 at 8:00 p.m.   Saturday
• March 14 at 2:00 p.m.   Sunday Matinee
• March 19 at 8:00 p.m.   Friday
• March 20 at 8:00 p.m.   Saturday
• March 21 at 2:00 p.m.  Sunday Matinee

For $25 per child parents get a three-hour break so they can have a date night to see a great, funny play – to reserve a space at The Jungle Gym on the evening of March 5, call 206-248-3547.

For tickets to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream, go to wwww.burienlittletheatre.com or call (206) 242-5180.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien residents had their final opportunity on Tuesday night (Feb. 23rd) to voice to the Burien Planning Commission their opinions and concerns about proposed rule revisions in the draft update of the city’s Shoreline Master Program.

Written comment still will be accepted, addressed to either the Burien Planning Commission or Senior City Planner David Johanson, at 400 SW 152nd St., Burien, WA, 98166, or by emailing DavidJ@burienwa.gov.

Concerned citizens will also have opportunities to speak out on the draft plan at public hearings, which will be scheduled later, conducted by the Burien City Council and the state Department of Ecology.

After hearing the last of the public testimony Tuesday evening, Planning Commission members began the process of working their way through a detailed summary of earlier comments by shoreline-area residents and draft responses prepared by city staff and consultants.

Public interest in this issue is so great – as is the level of concern among local shoreline residents who fear their property rights could be impacted by a revised plan – that the Burien Planning Commission, which will continue its review of the plan, will meet in the City Council chambers on the first floor of City Hall.

Almost 200 people, troubled primarily about the impact revised regulations – and public access to shorelines – will have on their property, crowded a smaller room for the Planning Commission two weeks ago.

But in the wake of that meeting, said several persons involved in the planning process, many of those commenting on the draft document were not well informed or were basing their concerns on “disinformation.”

Burien City Manager Mike Martin and Senior City Planner David Johanson recently sat down with The B-Town Blog to address what they said is misleading information circulating about provisions in the draft update of the Shoreline Master Program; here are their reactions:

Non-conforming structures on shoreline property cannot be rebuilt if damaged.

Martin: “That absolutely is not the case.”

Martin: “It does not do that. Period.”

Rights-of-way at the water’s edge can be taken over by the city.

Martin: “Contrary to what anyone may have heard, there is nothing in the document that gives the city new authority to take over any right-of-way.

The Planning Commission will make the final decision to approve the shoreline plan.

Martin: “That absolutely is not true. The City Council will make the final decision.”

The Planning Commission is expected to deliberate on the public comment it has received, complete its review of the document, and forward a recommendation to the City Council by the end of March.

At least one public hearing will be held by the council while it considers the plan before taking final action. Once the city has adopted its updated Shoreline Management Program, it still must be reviewed and approved by the state Department of Ecology.

Because of widespread misconceptions about provisions in the draft plan, some Planning Commission members are encouraging concerned shoreline residents to read it first, and then ask questions and address specific concerns, rather than simply reacting to rumors about what purported new regulations would do to their property.

The draft shoreline plan is available on the city’s website at http://burienwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=851.

Johanson noted that updating the city’s Shoreline Master Program is not a local option. “The state requires us to do this … over 200 jurisdictions [in Washington] are doing this.”

The state requires all cities and counties to periodically update their Shoreline Management Programs, which implement the Shoreline Management Act at the local level.

According to Ecology, local plans are based on state law and regulations, but “are tailored to the unique geographic, economic and environmental needs of each community.”

This is to improve and protect the health of Puget Sound and other waterways, improve water quality and salmon recovery, and enhance the state’s economy and tourism, Johanson added.

Information about the Shoreline Management Act and guidelines for local Shoreline Master Programs is available on Ecology’s website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov.

Burien was awarded a $117,000 state grant from Ecology for this project, which began with a comprehensive review of the current document by the Shoreline Advisory Committee. The committee then made recommendations and submitted that draft to the Planning Commission.

Martin stressed that the draft revisions give the city “no new rights or authority under its shoreline document.” This includes Lake Burien, which has no public access to its shoreline.

“The city does not have any more authority in this document to provide public access [to the lake] than at any time in the past,” he said.

Johanson said setbacks allowed in the proposed revised plan, in the event of reconstruction due to property damage, are “similar to those of other urban jurisdictions” in an attempt “to strike a balance between state objectives and the urban setting” where shorelines already are developed.

The draft plan would require a 65 foot setback from the average high water level, compared to a current setback of 20 feet along the Puget Sound shoreline. If adopted, those homes would be classified as non-conforming structures – but could be rebuilt on their existing footprint if damaged.

Johanson indicated that after the Planning Commission has finished taking public testimony, staff will compile a list of frequently asked questions together with clarifications and answers, and post this on the city’s website.

by Ralph Nichols

Burien’s “highest priority” in updating its Shoreline Master Program should be assessing “reaches of shoreline where there is no public access,” City Councilman Brian Bennett told The B-Town Blog in a recent interview.

But Bennett, who served on the Shoreline Advisory Committee before his election to the City Council last fall, stressed that this view is based solely on his work as a member of that committee.

He vowed as a councilman to listen fairly to the concerns of all shoreline property owners when the council reviews proposed revisions to the plan later this year. He added that private property rights should be protected in the final document.

“There are certain areas of shoreline in Burien without any public access,” Bennett noted. Yet “public policy at the state and federal levels [calls for] access to public waters.”

Burien has two reaches of shoreline along “public waters” as defined by state and federal laws – Puget Sound and Lake Burien. Seahurst Park affords access to Puget Sound, and there are also limited access points at Three Tree Point.

But there is no public access to Lake Burien, and “the lake is public property,” Bennett said. “It is owned by the city and the state.”

The question to him then becomes how to create public access to Lake Burien without impacting property owners around the lake.

“I would like the community to consider limited secure access, gated with secure buffers” to the lake, he continued. This access would not allow boats and would have only “limited parking to promote people walking.”

His preferred point of access would be on lakeside parcels adjacent to the Ruth Dykeman Center that center directors hope to sell. Bennett hopes the city will consider buying one or more of these last remaining lots on the lake.

“If they are built on, there will be no opportunity again in our lifetime to gain access to the lake. It’s important for us to consider this…”

“There are kids just a couple blocks away wondering, ‘Why don’t we get to play on the lake?’” Bennett said. “It concerns me that this is a debate about us against them. It’s important that as a community we all be together helping each other out.”

He recalled that Lake Burien is considered the birthplace of Burien, and is just a block from SW 152nd Street – the city’s “main street” – making it a natural link to the downtown business district.

Bennett also said he has “heard from a lot of people” about this issue and understands their concerns. Any access to Lake Burien would have to protect the shoreline environment as well as the privacy and property of lakeside residents, he declared.

(Photo of Brian Bennett by Joe Mabel)

by Ralph Nichols

Concerned citizens who live along Burien’s two residential waterfront reaches – Three Tree Point and Lake Burien – will have yet another opportunity at 7pm this evening (Tuesday, Feb. 23) to comment on the draft update of the city’s Shoreline Master Program.

Public interest in this issue is so great – as is the level of concern among local shoreline residents who fear their property rights could be impacted by a revised plan – that the Burien Planning Commission, which will continue its review of the plan, will meet in the City Council chambers on the first floor of City Hall.

Almost 200 people, troubled primarily about the impact revised regulations – and public access to shorelines – will have on their property, crowded a smaller room for the Planning Commission two weeks ago.

But in the wake of that meeting, said several persons involved in the planning process, many of those commenting on the draft document were not well informed or were basing their concerns on “disinformation.”

Burien City Manager Mike Martin and Senior City Planner David Johanson recently sat down with The B-Town Blog to address what they said is misleading information circulating about provisions in the draft update of the Shoreline Master Program. Here are there responses to some common misperceptions:

Non-conforming structures on shoreline property cannot be rebuilt if damaged.

Martin: “That absolutely is not the case.”

New public access to these shoreline reaches is proposed.

Martin: “It does not do that. Period.”

Rights-of-way at the water’s edge can be taken over by the city.

Martin: “Contrary to what anyone may have heard, there is nothing in the document that gives the city new authority to take over any right-of-way.”

The Planning Commission will make the final decision to approve the shoreline plan.

Martin: “That absolutely is not true. The City Council will make the final decision.”

The Planning Commission is expected to deliberate on the public comment it has received, complete its review of the document, and forward a recommendation to the City Council by the end of March.

At least one public hearing will be held by the council while it considers the plan before taking final action. Once the city has adopted its updated Shoreline Management Program, it still must be reviewed and approved by the state Department of Ecology.

Because of widespread misconceptions about provisions in the draft plan, some Planning Commission members are encouraging concerned shoreline residents to read it first, and then ask questions and address specific concerns, rather than simply reacting to rumors about what purported new regulations would do to their property.

The draft shoreline plan is available on the city’s website http://burienwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=851.

Johanson noted that updating the city’s Shoreline Master Program is not a local option. “The state requires us to do this … over 200 jurisdictions [in Washington] are doing this.”

The state requires all cities and counties to periodically update their Shoreline Management Programs, which implement the Shoreline Management Act at the local level.

According to Ecology, local plans are based on state law and regulations, but “are tailored to the unique geographic, economic and environmental needs of each community.”

This is to improve and protect the health of Puget Sound and other waterways, improve water quality and salmon recovery, and enhance the state’s economy and tourism, Johanson added.

Information about the Shoreline Management Act and guidelines for local Shoreline Master Programs is available on Ecology’s website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov.

Burien was awarded a $117,000 state grant from Ecology for this project, which began with a comprehensive review of the current document by the Shoreline Advisory Committee. The committee then made recommendations and submitted that draft to the Planning Commission.

Martin stressed that the draft revisions give the city “no new rights or authority under its shoreline document.” This includes Lake Burien, which has no public access to its shoreline.

“The city does not have any more authority in this document to provide public access [to the lake] than at any time in the past,” he said.

Johanson said setbacks allowed in the proposed revised plan, in the event of reconstruction due to property damage, are “similar to those of other urban jurisdictions” in an attempt “to strike a balance between state objectives and the urban setting” where shorelines already are developed.

The draft plan would require a 65-foot setback from the average high water level, compared to a current setback of 20 feet along the Puget Sound shoreline. If adopted, those homes would be classified as non-conforming structures – but could be rebuilt on their existing footprint if damaged.

Johanson indicated that after the Planning Commission has finished taking public testimony, staff will compile a list of frequently asked questions together with clarifications and answers, and post this on the city’s website.

The next Shoreline Master Program Planning Commission meeting will take place tonight (Tues., Feb. 23rd) at 7pm in the main City Council Chambers meeting room on the first floor of the new city hall, located at 400 SW 152nd Street. Also, according to the city’s website, this meeting will be televised live on TBC 21 (The Burien Channel), live streamed on the City’s website here, and available via archived video on the website.

Former Burien City Councilmember Sue Blazak, along with Highline College Vice President of Administration Larry Yok, were appointed Monday (Feb. 22nd) along with 26 others to a new Regional Transit Task Force that will advise on the future of King County Metro Transit services.

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the 28 regional and community leaders in a press release on the King County website:

“I’ve asked this cross-section of regional leaders and transit users to engage in a discussion about how we can best deliver transit service for all parts of the county within the resources we have,” said Executive Constantine. “I deliberately sought a group of people who are willing to put aside political divisions and think creatively about how to plan a transit system that will serve us well in the future.”

Constantine said the conversation will include development of a comprehensive vision for what the regional transit system should look like in the future as well as criteria for systematically growing or reducing the transit system, depending on the revenues available.

Sue Blazak

The geographically balanced 28-member task force includes a mix of elected officials and representatives of business, labor, education, and human service agencies, along with riders.

“Our goal was to pull together a task force that was diverse and represented the broad perspectives across our county—from students to elderly people, from business to labor, from Seattle to Maple Valley, and more,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, sponsor of the motion creating the panel. “The Regional Transit Task Force is charged with developing a regional vision to shape our transit system for the future and address the revenue shortfalls Metro faces. I think these individuals, with input from the larger community, are up to that task.”

The task force is being asked to develop policy options for discussion by July and to adopt final policy recommendations by September 2010.

Here’s the full list of 28 appointees:

REGIONAL TRANSIT TASK FORCE
CATEGORY	NAME	REPRESENTING
Accessible services	Jane Kuechle	AtWork
Economic development	Kate Joncas	West – Downtown Seattle Assoc
Economic development	Christine Hoffman	East – Redmond Chamber
Economic development	Tom Pierson	South – Federal Way Chamber
Education	Larry Yok	South – Highline Comm. College
Education	Josh Kavanagh	West – Univ. of Washington
Elected official	Suzette Cooke	South – Kent
Elected official	Noel Gerken	South – Maple Valley
Elected official	Tom Rasmussen	West – Seattle
Elected official	Chris Eggen	West – Shoreline
Elected official	Grant Degginger	East – Bellevue
Elected official	Fred Butler	East – Issaquah
Environmental	Rob Johnson	Transportation Choices Coalition
Environmental	Chuck Ayers	Cascade Bicycle Club
Good government	James Kelly	Urban League of Metro. Seattle
Organized labor	Carl Jackson	Amalgamated Transit Union
Organized labor	David Freiboth	King County Labor Council
Puget Sound Regional Council	Bob Drewel	PSRC
Riders	Sue Blazak	South
Riders	Carla Saulter	West
Riders	Shiv Batra	East
Social services	Estela Ortega	West – El Centro de la Raza
Social services	Lynn Moody	East – Hopelink
Trip reduction	Liz Warman	South – The Boeing Company
Trip reduction	Jim Stanton	East – Microsoft
Transportation expert	Steve Marshall	Cascadia Center
Transportation expert	Jared Smith	Parsons Brinckerhoff
Transit Advisory Committee	Ed Miller	Transit Advisory Committee

by Ralph Nichols

Burien City Council members will receive a briefing at tonight’s regular meeting (7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22) on the King County Library System’s (KCLS) process for siting libraries.

The presentation will be made by Bill Ptacek, director of the King County Library System, and Denise Siers, director of KCLS Public Services.

And odds are good that they will hear an earful during public comments at the beginning of the meeting from North Highline residents – many of whom will become Burien residents on April 1 – concerned about the future of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries.

The Library Service Area Analysis will also be discussed at the KCLS Board of Trustees monthly meeting at 960 Newport Way NW in Issaquah on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. The document can be accessed here (as a PDF file).

That meeting will include the trustees’ quarterly public forum, during which library patrons can speak on matters of concern for more than the three minutes usually allowed for each person, and library siting is expected to be a key issue for discussion.

Funding for replacement or expansion of both the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries was part of a bond issue approved by King County voters in 2004, which is paying for new and renovated facilities throughout the KCLS service area.

That bond issue included construction of the new Burien library, which opened last June.

But Ptacek signaled last fall that he might be backing away from what library patrons voted for in 2004, when former King County Executive Kurt Triplett offered to sell Puget Sound Park to the KCLS.

Ptacek indicated at that time that the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries could be closed and consolidated in a new library building at the park site – a preliminary move that generated strong opposition from patrons served by the libraries in both communities.

Burien City Council members and City Manager Mike Martin strongly objected to a sale of the park because it is located in southern North Highline, which will be annexed by Burien on April 1. New county Executive Dow Constantine agreed and last month announced that Puget Sound Park will be transferred to the city as part of annexation.

Since then, however, the proposed KCLS Library Service Area Analysis has left White Center and Boulevard Park residents still ill at ease about the future of their community libraries.

Rachel Levine, a member of the White Center Library Guild, recently noted that the siting process is based too much on numbers and not enough on people. Her remarks pose a contrast to Ptacek’s statement in his director’s report for Tuesday’s meeting:

“It was a surprise to hear that the City of Seattle plans to pursue the annexation of the North Highline area. This would extend the current City limits all the way to 112th street. If this occurs, the Greenbridge Library would be in Seattle and the Boulevard Park and White Center libraries would be close to the boundary. Obviously this development would have a major impact on the service area analysis KCLS has planned for the area,” he wrote.

“We are meeting with the Burien City Council on February 22 to discuss library services in the North Highline area that will annex to Burien and will use that occasion to present the current draft of the Library Service Area Analysis Policy. KCLS will use that process before taking any action on library services in the area.”

Burien City Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak, who is also a member of the KCLS Board of Trustees, told the other council members on Feb. 8 that the library board will not be discussing the status of these two libraries until the question of which city, Seattle or Burien, annexes northern North Highline is resolved.

by Ralph Nichols

This week’s action by the King County Council that moves Burien’s planned park-and-ride transit center parking garage closer to reality also improves the possibility that the city may get a 10-screen cinema complex in Town Square.

The proposed multiplex, which would be located on the southwest corner of SW 150th St. and 4th Ave. SW, where the old city hall is located, would require the evening and weekend parking available at the 500-stall garage to be a viable attraction in Burien’s Town Square.

The transit center garage will be built on the northeast corner of SW 150th St. and 4th Ave. SW, across the intersection from the potential theater site. Additional theater parking would be available in the city’s municipal parking lot on SW 150th St. between 6th and 8th Ave. SW.

Los Angeles-based Galaxy Theater Group, whose 100-plus properties include a cinema and food court in Gig Harbor, would build and operate the cinema complex through an arrangement with Urban Partners, the private developer of Town Square.

Urban Partners proposed to the Burien City Council last fall that a multiplex theater, instead of a planned second condominium/retail complex, be built on the vacant Town Square parcel where the Burien/Interim Art Space was located.

The depressed housing and lending markets made it unlikely that a new condominium project could get started within the time frame required by their agreement with the city, principals of Urban Partners told council members.

Following this initial presentation to the City Council, Urban Partners, at the request of Galaxy Theater Group, recommended that the cinema complex be proposed instead for the Town Square parcel currently occupied by the old city hall to be closer to the transit parking garage.

And Galaxy has submitted to the city a preliminary building design configured to the shape of this parcel. It includes 10 screens, a food court – and a separate stage that community groups like Burien Little Theater could use for live productions.

Several council members expressed a strong interest in a stage for live public performances when Galaxy made its initial presentation to the city.

The proposed cinema complex, however, is far from a done deal. There is some concern among council members about building it instead of multi-family housing, as the original Town Square agreement called for, and about the long-term potential for success of such a theater in Burien.

Galaxy Theater Group says a cinema complex in Burien would be supported by a market area west of Interstate 5 from south Seattle to Federal Way with a population of 400,000.

City staff will have to review the proposed design and the City Council then must consider the Urban Partners-Galaxy Theater Group plan – which could include retail and office space – and approve it as an acceptable development alternative for Town Square before a cinema complex can become a reality there.

Should the City Council give a green light to the proposed cinema complex in the next few months, it could be built while the transit center parking garage is also under construction, with both opening at about the same time.

Meanwhile, one thing does seem certain, according to Dick Loman, Burien’s Economic Development Manager:

“We’re damn fortunate here to have this interest in continued development of downtown Burien as a major urban center. It’s exciting.”

by Ralph Nichols

A $20.5 million parking garage with 500 stalls, planned for the park-and-ride lot in downtown Burien, has moved a big step closer toward the start of construction.

The King County Council adopted unanimously on Feb. 16 an ordinance approving both a ground lease of the county-owned parking lot to Alliance Wasatch I, LLC, which will build the garage on that site, and a lease back to the county of the parking facility upon its completion.

“I’m excited to see signs of progress on this project because connecting people to transit is a critical part of maximizing our transit investments,” said King County Councilwoman Jan Drago, who represents Burien.

“This is one piece of a [Transit Oriented Development] package that the King County Council will be addressing to help bring smart, green development to the heart of Burien and [Council] District 8.”

The existing park-and-ride lot with 300-plus stalls on the northeast corner of SW 150th St. and 4th Ave. SW is adjacent to the new Burien Transit Center – the first part of a three-phase Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project in Burien. The transit center opened last June.

Temporary transit parking during construction of the garage may be located at the old BBC Dodge site at 1st Ave. S. and SW 148th St. An arrangement for this currently is being negotiated.

King County Executive Dow Constantine was authorized by the County Council to execute final details of both the ground and project leases, and to approve certain other provisions of the lease–leaseback transaction.

Burien Economic Development Manager Dick Loman noted that the ground lease, which is expected to be dated April 1, “is subject to receipt of legal documents from Sound Transit, the Federal Transportation Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy,” which are the county’s funding partners for the project.

After the County Council gives final approval to the project and the lease becomes effective, the developer will have 90 days to finalize construction financing and building permits.

Loman added that construction could begin by Labor Day, with project completion and the opening of the garage expected by July 2011.

He said the county “plans to exercise its option to purchase the parking facility upon completion.”

The final phase of Burien’s TOD – construction of approximately 100 affordable multi-family units around the outside of the five-story parking garage, with a sixth level underground – is expected to proceed after construction of the garage is completed as financing is available.

“Once the apartments are built, you won’t even know a parking garage is there,” Loman said. A lot of this housing is expected to be made available to new teachers in the Highline School District.

Retail and office space will be located on the ground level of the garage/apartment development.

A group of concerned shoreline property owners will be holding an informational/educational meeting on the city of Burien’s Shoreline Master Program plan this Saturday, Feb. 20th at 1pm at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub, which is located at 435 SW 152nd St. in Burien.

According to a post on the Three Tree Point Yahoo Group:

Dave Douglas, Permit Coordinator for Waterfront Construction, will share his vast experience in dealing with Shoreline Management Plans in several other communities. Dave understands the politics, what has been most helpful for other communities, how regulations are made/negotiated, and he knows the state SMA chapter and verse. His observations and advice are invaluable for us as we go through this process with Burien. Our participation in this process is critical to ensure that our rights as shoreline property owners are protected.  Space at this meeting is limited so please RSVP to this email if you plan to come so we can get an idea of attendance.

It is also important to continue to show a presence at the Planning Commission (next meeting Feb 23rd) and City Council meetings (next meeting Feb 22nd). The Planning Commission meetings are intended to be working meetings for the members of the commission to actually incorporate our suggestions into the SMP using the matrix developed by David Johansson. This matrix includes many of the comments and suggestions that we have all made at previous meetings and in writing to the city and to the Planning Commission. They understand our concern and frustration at this plan and the process, so if we are given the opportunity to make comments we need to be respectful and brief. The time will come for further participation from us, but for now the Planning Commission needs to get this thing written to include our input so we have something to respond to.

There is limited space at Mick Kelly’s, and the organizers are asking folks to please RSVP by calling Carol Jacobson at (206) 246-8700 (leave a voicemail if she doesn’t pick up).

The City of Burien announced this week that the location of its Planning Commission Meetings is moving from the 3rd floor lobby to the 1st floor Meeting Room/Council Chambers at the Library/City Hall beginning Tuesday, Feb. 23rd.

It’s possible that this decision was made because of the recent turnout for the controversial Shoreline Master Program update meetings (some say 300 around 100 residents showed up).

The first Planning Commission meeting in the new location will be Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 7pm.

According to the cityfolk:

Regular Planning Commission meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month.

This switch from the 3rd floor lobby will enable more people to comfortably attend the meetings.

The meetings will also be televised live on TBC 21 (The Burien Channel), live streamed and available via archived video at http://www.burienmedia.org.

Audio recordings of the January 12 and January 26 Planning Commission meetings are also available on our website at http://www.burienwa.gov/PlanningCommission under “Shoreline Master Program Update.”

The February 9th audio will be uploaded soon.

The City of Burien currently has openings on three of its four resident-run Advisory Commissions, which is a great way to become involved with your city and give something back to your community, with an application deadline of 5pm Friday, Feb. 19th.

Burien residents, as well as residents of the North Highline Annexation Area, which will become part of the City on April 1st, are encouraged to apply for current openings on these boards:

• Arts Commission
• Planning Commission
• Parks & Recreation Board

All appointments are made by the City Council and are for four-year terms (ad-hoc committee appointments are for the duration of the study or special purpose).

To apply, please fill out the city’s Online Application Form.

You can also download an Advisory Board Application and mail it drop if off at city hall:

Citizen Advisory Board
City of Burien
400 SW 152nd St, Suite 300
Burien, WA 98166

Please note that applications are continually being accepted for future board openings.

For more information, please call Monica Lusk, City Clerk at (206) 248-5517 or via email, or visit the city’s Advisory Board website here.

Together with the King County Sheriff’s Office, Burien and SeaTac Police are continuing their twice-yearly “Citizen’s Police Academy” program with an orientation on Thursday, March 11th, and classes on Wednesday nights from 6pm-9pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Citizen’s Police Academy Training

WHEN: Starts Thursday, March 11th and continues through April 24th. Classes are held on Wednesday nights from 6pm to 9pm at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien.

Classes will run for 13 weeks, plus a graduation ceremony including a certificate of completion and pictures with police staff. A light meal will be provided for students. There are presentations by many of the Sheriff’s Office Units and several opportunities for hands-on experiences, plus a field trip to the King County Communications Center.

The training sessions are held twice a year in the spring and fall. The sessions require approximately 20 hours to complete. There is a minimal fee for tools supplied to students, enabling them to build their own emergency response kit.

WHERE: Initial meeting is at the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Station, which is located at 15100 8th Ave SW in Burien; subsequent classes will be at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien.

COST: FREE!

INFO: From a press release:

Graduates of the Citizen’s Police Academy will have a better understanding of the law enforcement role in the criminal justice system and an appreciation for the many challenges facing law enforcement in today’s complex society. They will also be better able to assist offices in improving their neighborhoods and communities.

The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations or workplaces in basic preparation and response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area.

SeaTac and Burien Fire and Police Departments partner in offering this eight-week training held on weekday evenings, with a Practical Fianl Exercise held on a Saturday. Sessions require approximately 20 ours to complete.  There is a minimal fee for tools supplied to students, enabling them to build their own emergency response kit.

Training is designed to cover the following:

• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Safety
• Disaster Medical Operations (Triage, Treating Life Threatening Injuries, and Assessment, Treatment and Hygiene.)
• Light Search and Rescue
• Team Organization
• Disaster Psychology
• Terrorism

Graduates will also be eligible for the Ride-Along program, in which you can spend up to an entire shift riding with an officer.

This course is an unforgettable experience and it’s completely free for anyone who lives or works in the cities of SeaTac or Burien!

There are two sessions each year and they fill up fast, so register early with your local Community Service Officer.

If you are interested in attending the next session and would like an application sent to you by mail, please contact CSO Mechee Burnett at mechee.burnett@kingcounty.gov or 206.973.4917 (you can also download a PDF application here).

• SEATAC: If you are from the SeaTac area, please contact: CSO Eloise Kruger: 206-973-4915 or ekruger@ci.seatac.wa.us
• BURIEN: If you are from the Burien area, please contact: CSO Nicki Maraulja: 206-296-3333 or nicki.maraulja@kingcounty.gov

Discover Burien’s Annual Silent Auction and the City of Burien Citizen Awards Recognition Dinner will be Friday, March 5th, from 6 to 10 pm at Karuna Yoga Studio in Olde Burien.

At this event, awards will be given out to the recipients of the city’s four awards for Outstanding Citizens and/or Businesspeople for 2009, which include (read our previous coverage here):

• John Nelson
• Luke Cruise
• Jean Spohn
• Jerry Robinson

And if you’re a local businessperson who’d like to donate an item to the auction, please click here for a Procurement Form (PDF file). This is Discover Burien’s big annual fundraiser event, and each item donated will be seen by a captive, interested, local and relevant audience (in other words, it’s a great way to market your stuff!). Contact Debra George if you have a donation: debrageorgemi@aol.com or via phone at (206) 941-7199.

Here are the event details:

WHAT: Discover Burien Annual Silent Auction and the City of Burien Citizen Awards Recognition Dinner

WHEN: Friday, March 5th from 6pm to 10pm

WHERE: Karuna Yoga Studio, located at 819 SW 152nd Street (at the corner of SW 152nd and Ambaum Blvd. in Olde Burien).

INFO: This will be a fun social event, with Dinner, Awards, Silent Auction and a No Host Bar. More information available at the Discover Burien website.

COST: Tickets are $25 each, or a Table with 8 tickets is $200.

Call (206) 433-2882 or e-mail debrageorgemi@aol.com or pick up tickets at the Discover Burien office or City Hall.

The first in a series of public workshops for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 24th at Mount Rainier High School (locatrd at 22450 19th Ave. South in Des Moines) beginning at 5:15pm.

So if you have something to say about airport noise, this would be the place to air your thoughts and hope that the Port of Seattle hears you.

Doors open at 5pm, with the program beginning at 5:15pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Public workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” program

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 24th beginning at 5:15pm

WHERE: Mt. Rainier High School, located at 22450 19th Ave South in Des Moines

INFO: From a press release:

The Part 150 Study will look at ways to reduce aircraft noise impacts on communities. Throughout the study, the public is invited to participate in the solution and recommendation process through active engagement in a series of topical workshops.

The February 24th workshop will include a brief presentation followed by facilitator-led, small-group working sessions designed to gather the public’s input on refining the scope for the Part 150 Study. So, please review the meeting agenda and come prepared with ideas.

Visit the dedicated Part 150 Study Website – the single location for all documentation connected to the study.

A preliminary state audit questions the Port of Seattle’s contract with the nonprofit “Port Jobs” program, and Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines) is sponsoring a bill that will make sure the program continues.

Since 1993, the private, nonprofit “Port Jobs” program has successfully matched job seekers with employers, as well as provided continuing education and job training opportunities.

“In the past decade, over 14,000 job seekers in South King County have turned to the services of Port Jobs,” Upthegrove said. “And employers know that when a candidate is referred to them through Port Jobs, that person’s qualifications have been thoroughly vetted.”

Upthegrove is sponsoring House Bill 2651, which specifically authorizes ports to support job placement and training programs that are operated by nonprofit entities. State law already authorizes port districts to contract with nonprofits for economic development. At issue is whether economic development encompasses workforce development.

“Port Jobs has connected thousands of job seekers with employers at Sea-Tac Airport, and to apprenticeships in the skilled construction trades. In this economy, we are doing everything we can to get people to work, and to help them stay employed once they get there,” said Heather Worthley, Executive Director of Port Jobs. “Representative Upthegrove’s bill, if passed, will make it crystal clear that the Port of Seattle has the Legislature’s backing to continue to fund this important work.”

The bill passed out of committee in the House and is awaiting possible action on the House floor. Upthegrove is pushing to ensure that the measure passes the House before the February 16 cutoff deadline for House bills.

“Our focus this year in Olympia is to create jobs and improve our economy, and this bill is all about jobs,” Upthegrove said.

Under the proposed legislation, Port Jobs would be required to submit an annual report to the Port of Seattle detailing the number of successful job placements. In 2009, Port Jobs placed more than 500 people through its Airport Jobs office.

From the Port Jobs website:

Port Jobs is not-for-profit action tank that develops practical programs and supports public policies that increase access to living wage jobs, fostering a more vibrant and equitable economy for residents of and businesses in Seattle and King County. We make good jobs easier to get and good employees easier to find, primarily in the port-related economy.

A 501(c)(3) organization, Port Jobs: engages in innovative research to increase shared knowledge; creates powerful partnerships in key action areas; and develops practical programs that provide important services to jobseekers, employers and our local community.

Burien Parks will be holding its annual “Daddy Daughter Valentine’s Ball” on Saturday, Feb. 6th at the Burien Community Center, located at 425 SW 144th Street.

There will be two sessions:

1. 1. From 5:30pm to 7pm
2. 2. From 7:30pm to 9pm

Here are the details:

WHAT: Burien Parks’ annual “Daddy Daughter Valentines Ball”

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 6th – two sessions: #1: 5:30pm – 7pm #2: 7:30pm – 9pm

WHERE: Burien Community Center, located at 425 SW 144th Street

COST: $27 per couple & $5 per additional person; Tickets must be pre-purchased.

INFO: Admission includes:

• Flower for each daughter
• Picture in Cupid’s Corner
• Cookies & Punch
• Door Prizes

INFO: For more information, call the Burien Community Center at (206) 988-3700 or visit the Burien Parks website here.

The second annual “Cove To Clover” fundraiser 5K race will be Sunday, March 14th, winding its way from the Normandy Park Community Club up the dreaded “snake hill” to the finish line in front of Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub.

We’re proud to be a Sponsor of this great event, which serves as a fundraiser for the Highline Food Bank. Last year over $12,000 was raised, and this year’s goal is $20,000!

If you’re interested in registering, please click here.

If you thought last year’s race was fun and challenging, just wait until you get a whiff of some o’the new elements for 2010. It’s as if the dial on the family-friendly funometer has been cranked up to 11 – check out some of the new features:

• The race begins at 1pm on Sunday, March 14th at Normandy Park Community Club. The course winds up “snake hill” all the way to the Gregory Heights neighborhood, past St. Francis of Assisi, crosses 152nd street with the finish line in Burien Town Square, where there will be a traditional Irish Festival.
• This challenging course takes its toll on even the most seasoned runners! Two water stops are provided, and racers will be rewarded with music from an Irish Piper when the reach the top of the ominous “snake” hill.
• Again there is a 1-mile Family Race which begins at St. Francis and follows the last of the 5K course.
• NEW: “While You Run” childcare, check your kids in at the Family Race start. Run the first 2 miles of the 5K, check your kids back out to run the Family Race together. Your 5K time will suffer of course.
• NEW: Pub Crawl – Friday March 12th!
• NEW: School Registration Contest! $5 from each registration fee can be donated to the local school of your choice! Just—type in your school’s name at registration–the school with the most registrations will be awarded an additional $1,500! Registrations can track their school’s progress at www.covetoclover.com/schools.
• NEW: School Limerick Contest — A $500 prize will be awarded to the school (or non-profit for non- student entries) who present the winning Limerick! Limerick contest details at www.covetoclover.com/limerick. BTW, we’re working on our own Limerick that starts “There once was a man from B-Town…”
• NEW: Start Line Party – Live Band inside the Normandy Park Cove Building prior to the race so you can warm up dancing to old school rock and roll.
• NEW: Expanded Pre-Race shuttle service from the finish line to the start line.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER:

5k at 1:00pm:

• $30.00 early registration (before Mar. 2nd; $35 after)

Family Race (1 mile) at 1:30 PM:

• $25.00 early registration (before Mar. 2nd; $30 after)

Here’s a map of the race course:

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/wa/normandy-park/131126275593197103″ mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/wa/normandy-park/131126275593197103″>Official Cove to Clover 5K Route</a><br/><a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/wa/normandy-park” mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/wa/normandy-park”>Find more Runs in Normandy Park, Washington</a>

Some other highlights include:

• On-course Irish Pipes
• Irish Entertainment
• 2 Live Bands
• Bigger Beer Garden
• 1-mile Family Race
• Free Hot Dogs for Kids
• Free Root Beer Garden
• Irish Grub

RACE DAY SCHEDULE:

• 10:15am+: Take the Free Pre-Race Shuttle – loads at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub starting at 10:15 am (WARNING: Start Line Parking is EXTREMELY LIMITED!). Please park near Burien Town Square and take the free shuttle from Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub. Final shuttle departs promptly at 12:40 pm. Shuttle will drop you at the family race start-line (St. Francis Parish) of the 5K start-line (The Cove).
• 1pm: 5K Race (race starts at 1 pm sharp) Start Line @ Normandy Park Swim Club “The Cove”
• Registration/Packet Pickup from 10:45 am – 12:45 pm @ The Cove
• LIVE ROCK BAND starts at 10:45 am: “The Throbs” will be cranking out old school rock and roll at the start line until race time. Warm your bones rocking out to covers of Nirvana, AC/DC, Scorpions and other eye-popping ROCK!!! Come early and avoid the last minute shuttle rush.

FAMILY RACE:

• Race starts at 1:40pm sharp
• Start Line @ St. Francis Church
• Registration/Packet Pickup from 10:45 am – 1:20 pm @ St. Francis Church
• 1 mile-ish. This can be walked or run and will include people of all generations. Hopefully we’ll have Irish Step Dance lessons prior to the start. – Pick up bib
• NEW: “While You Race” Childcare (11:00 am – 1:35 pm) at St. Francis Church
• If you want to run the 5K but your kids aren’t ready for that level of suffering, consider checking your kids into “While You Race” Childcare at the family race start line. You can then run the first 2 miles of the 5K to the Family Race Start, grab your kids and run then run the Family Race together. Child care provided by St. Francis Parish, extra fee may be involved.
• YOU MUST CHECK OUT YOUR CHILD BEFORE FINISHING THE 5K. It is not intended that runners finish the run and then return to claim their children. Due to the tight schedule, this service is for families with children who plan to run the Family Race.
• If you do the math, you’ll need to be able to run the first 2 miles in 30 minutes to pickup your child in time for the Family Race. Shuttle from the finish line, will stop drop you at St. Francis to check in your kids. Then you can re-board the shuttle to be taken to the 5K start line (the Cove).

FINISH LINE FESTIVAL AT BURIEN TOWN SQUARE:

• Finish Line Irish Festival runs from 2pm – 5pm at Burien Town Square
• “The Haggis Bros” are a lively Irish Band. You can enjoy the show from the beer garden (or free root beer garden for the kiddies). Be entertained by traditional step dancers while you gnash some Irish grub.

Not a runner? Get involved as a race day volunteer: Please contact John Nelson at jonelson@adobe.com.

And there are still some great Sponsorship Opportunities available – please email Ashley Fosberg at fosberg5@comcast.net for a sponsorship packet!

As the official web Sponsor of the Cove To Clover race, we’ll be posting more updates soon (including details on the Pub Crawl March 12th!), so be sure to come back often.

by Ralph Nichols

In a victory for private property rights, the SeaTac City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 26th to rescind their earlier condemnation of the “Park-N-Fly” business at 17400 International Boulevard.

The paid parking lot – easily recognizable by its landmark sign, a vertical blue and gold key, across the street from Sound Transit’s light rail station at Sea-Tac International Airport – is the focus of ongoing negotiations over development of a proposed city center there.

Council members voted last Sept. 22 to condemn the property in an eminent domain action. Had the condemnation proceeded, it was anticipated that the SeaTac would sell the land to a private developer who then would build a parking garage and a city center complex.

“We are very pleased that the city council reconsidered its earlier action and upheld the Constitution and respect for private property,” John Houlihan Jr., an attorney for James and Doris Cassan, owners of Park-N-Fly, said following the action. “The Cassans look forward to continuing their long-standing business.”

Doris Cassan added that they now “will continue to pursue with the city what will make a first-class project.” This will be a mixed use development including some combination of a hotel, retail, office space and possibly some multi-family housing in addition to parking.

Councilman Rick Forschler said prior to the vote the earlier condemnation of the Cassan’s property was “a misuse of eminent domain.” He noted that while the council said it wanted to take the property for a “public use,” that use actually would have been a sale of the land to a developer who would build a private parking garage there.

“The Cassans are committed to making this a first-class development,” said Councilman Tony Anderson in support of rescinding the condemnation. He also appealed to both parties to “continue their negotiations (for development of the site) in good faith.”

And Councilwoman Mia Gregerson said she would vote to rescind because “the city and property owners are working together for a development that works.”

Councilman Ralph Shape, who defended the condemnation action at the council’s Jan. 12 meeting, offered no comment before voting to repeal it.

Council members approved the condemnation ordinance last year because they “believed it was in the best interests of the city,” said Councilman Gene Fisher, who introduced the ordinance to rescind at the earlier meeting.

“Because of conversations going on (since the original action) between the city and property owners … working together for development that works,” condemnation of the Cassan property is not appropriate and he could not support it, Fisher declared.

However, he noted that ordinance repeals condemnation without prejudice, which would allow the city to invoke that action in the future “if parking needs increase and negotiations with the property owners stall.”

Earlier in the meeting, Scott Roberts, property rights director with the Freedom Foundation, told council members there is a need for eminent domain reform in Washington and urged the lawmakers to act with that in mind.

“You know the difference between right and wrong,” Roberts added, and rescinding condemnation of the Cassan property “certainly is right.”

Companion bills to limit the use of eminent domain in Washington, introduced at the request of Attorney General Rob McKenna, currently are before the Legislature.

Doris Cassan summarized their plans for the property and urged the council to allow Park-N-Fly to remain in private hands and be developed privately by them.

Burien’s Shoreline Master Program will not accomplish its goals without the active involvement of Burien residents.

The largest owner of shoreline property is the City of Burien, and city managers have chosen a hands-off approach to managing over 170 acres of shoreline parks.

One remedy for this would be a Park Ranger system—something that will never happen unless Burien citizens ask for it.

The first four goals of the Shoreline Master Program are:

1. The Shoreline Master Program shall result in no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes.
2. Regulation and management of Burien’s shorelines should be guided by ongoing and comprehensive science.
3. The City should be proactive in managing activities within the shoreline jurisdiction.
4. Implement an adaptive management approach to respond to changes and to ensure continued effectiveness.

The requirement of “no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes” is the same requirement we have always had since the Shoreline Management Act was passed 38 years ago. During those years, I have walked along the beach at least several thousand times, and I have witnessed gradual and continuing degradation. While I have not seen new bulkheads, and few if any new houses have been built near the shore in the last few decades, I have seen an increase in off-leash dogs, graffiti, vandalism, and trash. These types of shoreline degradation come from public parks with no enforcement of laws or park rules. The City has not been “proactive in managing activities within the shoreline jurisdiction.” They have been entirely inactive.

Every day, I witness people walking their dogs to the park, usually on a leash, and when they get to the sign that says “Obey Leash and Scoop Laws,” that’s when they let their dogs off leash. They usually don’t grab any blue bags from the dispenser. At Seattle beaches, it is a $500 fine to have your dog at the beach at all, so people drive to Burien to let their dogs run free, where they know the rules will never be enforced. I have three dogs, I live next to a Burien park, and I drive to Grandview or Westcrest to let my dogs run free, legally and safely. Since Burien’s incorporation in 1993, I’ll bet that not one single citation or arrest has ever been made for off-leash dogs, vandalism, graffiti, littering, or fires in Burien’s shoreline parks. If anyone from the City can provide documentation that proves me wrong, I would like to see it. I know that on my several thousand visits to the beach I have witnessed tens of thousands of violations of the rules, and never once have I seen any sort of enforcement officer asking anyone to change their ways. It is a small minority of park visitors that disregard the rules, but these same people come back day after day, inflicting damage on shorelines owned by all of us.

What would it cost for Burien to have a Park Ranger system? It might cost about $300,000 a year, or it might cost as little as $40,000 a year if the City hired a volunteer coordinator and implemented a volunteer Park Ranger system like the City of Kirkland has. With either a volunteer system or paid professionals, the emphasis could be on education and encouragement rather than strict enforcement and punishment. If the regular park abusers knew that someone was watching, and that enforcement was even a possibility, most of them would change their ways. Whatever the cost of a Park Ranger system, it has to be measured against the cost of having no enforcement at all. This daily abuse of our public spaces by a handful of miscreants costs all of us real money. The environmental degradation they cause is not some abstract concept. I can’t give you an exact dollar amount of the damage because government has not amassed the “ongoing and comprehensive science” the Shoreline Management Act requires. I do know that Burien citizens have suffered millions of dollars of lost property value. Many studies have shown that property values decrease up to 15% in areas with graffiti and vandalism, such as is currently allowed in our parks. Burien homes and businesses are worth billions of dollars, collectively, and even a 1% loss of property value would total millions of dollars. Not having a Park Ranger costs all of us real money. If the citizens of Burien require their government to comply with the Shoreline Management Act and “be proactive in managing activities within the shoreline jurisdiction,” then the environment and the citizens will benefit.

As a member of the ad hoc Shoreline Advisory Committee, I have attended about a dozen meetings over the last two years. It is my impression that the process of developing the Shoreline Master Program is merely a formality, a process the City is required to go through. No one in government or on the Shoreline Advisory Committee believes that the final document will actually result in “No net loss” as required by law. All this document will do is to create a new set of rules that gather dust on a shelf somewhere, ignored like the old rules have been for decades. Only when the citizens of Burien take this seriously and demand environmental protection will real change happen on our beaches. Please attend one of the upcoming meetings and ask that the City begin to enforce environmental regulation, for the benefit of us all.

- Jim Branson

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If you live near the water in Burien (or want better access to it), be it Puget Sound or a lake, you may want to consider attending some upcoming meetings both this Monday and Tuesday night at 7pm at City Hall, when the city will discuss its proposed Shoreline Master Program.

Many residents are concerned that the city is considering turning some of what is now private waterfront areas into public spaces, resulting in Burien’s own “Alki Beach” or “Green Lake,” while others are happy that the city may be trying to open waterfront spaces for public use.

Here are the details:

WHAT: City of Burien meetings on its proposed Shoreline Master Program

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 25th – regular City Council meeting at 7pm & Tuesday, Jan. 26th at 7pm – Planning Commission Meeting

WHERE: Burien City Hall, located at 400 SW 152nd Street.

INFO: Links to the City of Burien’s documents on this issue are available here. More info on the Shoreline Master Program available here.

Some info from the Three Tree Point Yahoo Group:

The Shoreline Master Program Plan, in its’ present form, places its’ “highest priority” on increasing “actual and visual” access to all shorelines within Burien, i.e. Lake Burien, Three Tree Point, etc. Our greatest concern is should an attempt be made to create a “Greenlake”, “Angle Lake”, “Alki” or “Redondo” atmosphere, the increased noise, litter, and congestion could not only cause havoc and significant irreparable damage to the long standing ecosystems of both Lake Burien’s waters and our Puget Sound’s shorelines, but could also lead to a spiked increase in crime, leading to tremendous environmental impact.

We hope that you’ll take the time to briefly familiarize yourself with “The Plan”, and share your thoughts and concerns with members of both the City Council and the Planning Committee, either by e-mail, phone, or if possible in person.

The most effective way to make our concerns and desires as citizens known is to stand side by side, in great numbers, so that collectively our voices may be heard.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Shoreline Master Program, you may access all information and discussion regarding the proposed plan at the following link:

www.burienwa.gov/Search.aspx?SearchString=Shoreline+Master+Prpgram

Once you are on the website page, scroll down until you see the Shoreline Advisory Committee link. Click on each individual meeting date here for meeting minutes, proposals and “consensus.”

If you wish to speak at any of the meetings, it is our understanding that you must “sign up” to be heard, prior to the start of any scheduled meeting. The cut-off time for signing up is unclear, and therefore we invite you to contact the Burien City Clerk, Monica Lusk at (206) 248-5517.

REVIEW PROCESS
The Burien Planning Commission will review the proposed advisory committee recommendation for the revised Shoreline Master Program and make a recommendation to the Burien City Council, which has the final decision on the revised Shoreline Master Program. The following meetings have been planned:

• January 25, 7:00 pm: – regular City Council Meeting
• January 26, 7:00 pm: – Planning Commission Meeting: Discussion and possible recommendation to City Council on proposed Shoreline Master Program (not a public hearing).
• February 9, 7:00 pm – 
Planning Commission Meeting: Discussion and recommendation to City Council on proposed Shoreline Master Program (not a public hearing).
• February and March: 
City Council Public Hearing, discussion and decision on proposed shoreline master program. Dates to be determined following Planning Commission recommendation.
• April through July: Washington State Department of Ecology Review and Public Process. Timeline is subject to change Please check the City web site for the most up to date information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on the proposed Shoreline Master Program, please contact: City of Burien Dept. of Community Development (206) 248-5510

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this message, and we hope to see anyone who is able to attend the next City Council meeting on Monday, January 25th, City Hall, 7pm and the next Planning Commission meeting, Tuesday, January 26th, City Hall, 7pm.

And here’s some info from Burien’s website:

Under the state Shoreline Management Act, each city and county with “shorelines of the state” must adopt a Shoreline Master Program (SMP) that is based on state laws and rules while tailored to the specific geographic, economic and environmental needs of the community.

The City was awarded a $117,000 grant by the state Department of Ecology for this work. The City is nearing completion of an update of the SMP.

Among the tasks completed to date are a Shoreline Open House hosted by the City in May 2008, and a draft Burien Shoreline Inventory, Shoreline Analysis and Characterization, Restoration Plan and a Cumulative Impact Analysis. On Nov. 20th, more than 70 community members attended a second open house, circulating between stations that offered information about a variety of shoreline-related topics and asking individualized questions of staff and the consultant team. The open house was an excellent opportunity for the community to become familiar with what is proposed in the Shoreline Advisory Committee’s draft Shoreline Management Program.

The Burien Shoreline Advisory Committee met nine times throughout the process and has completed its primary task of recommending an updated shoreline master program to the Planning Commission. In turn, the Planning Commission will evaluate the document, conduct a public process and provide a recommendation to the City Council.

RELATED STORIES:

• City Of Burien Holding Open House On Shoreline Master Program Nov. 30th
• Burien Receives $117,600 Grant For Shoreline Master Program
• Deadline to Help Burien’s Shoreline Plan is Jan. 11th
• Should Lake Burien Get A Public Park? City Says “No”

“Dine for Highline,” an all-day fundraiser to help raise money for Highline Medical Center’s new ER, will be all day Thursday, Jan. 21st at 16 or so various local restaurants (see the full list below).

A percentage of all proceeds from the day will be donated to Highline Medical Center’s “Campaign for a New ER.”

Here’s a link to our original story.

Participating restaurants include:

• Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub
• Sal’s Deli
• 909 Coffee and Wine
• Mark Restaurant and Bar
• Yo’s Bistro
• Sidestreet Kitchen and Bar
• Angelo’s of Burien
• Australian Pie Co.
• Tin Room Bar
• Osteria de Primo
• Collier’s The House
• La Costa Restaurant
• Archery Bistro
• Bison Creek Pizza (BTB Advertiser)
• Emerald City Smoothie
• Vino Bello Wine Bar