BREAKING NEWS: King County ends Annexation debate for North Highline Area, will install chain-link fences around entire boundary.

King County officials announced Wednesday plans to install “Physical Borders” in the form of chain-link fences around much, if not all, of the Northern Highline and White Center community starting Thursday, April 2nd.

“This was not an easy solution, nor was it our first option, but something had to be done,” said Herberto Recinto, Director of King County’s Office of Boundary Implementation. “The annexation debate has been strung on far too long and by implementing these drastic measures we hope to encourage a speedy resolution. And after Tuesday night’s Boundary review board vote to progress with Burien’s annexation proposal, we felt we had little choice.”

Starting April 2nd, residents of the community north of 116th street, west to the Shorewood neighborhood and down to as far as SR-509, will begin to see installation crews assembling the chain-link “Physical Borders.”

Numerous road signs are being placed today, to be used to redirect traffic for practical fencing installation, and to keep with the limited time frame for the completion of the project. Detour signs will help citizens navigate their way around the boundaries of the newly-gated areas, and checkpoint gates will be used for residents.

However, once residents return to their homes they will not be allowed to exit the area.

Extra police have been bussed in from various local police departments as well as Homeland Security to help handle any potential crowd control issues.

“We should see a positive economic upswing as Project Physical Borders will create about 15 jobs for at least a week. In these times everything helps,” Recinto added.