In the February 12 issue of the Highline Times, on the front page, was an article by Keith Daigle reporting that the Burien City Council unanimously approved the new zoning code which restricts adult entertainment to between Southwest 112th Street and Southwest 116th Street along either side of 16thAvenue Southwest. The zoning code will become effective April 1 when Burien annexes the southern portion of North Highline.
As a resident of the Shorewood community, I strongly object to having an “Adult Entertainment” zone bordering our Shorewood neighborhood, including two public schools (Cascade and Evergreen) and a private Montessori school, as well as the White Center King County Library. I have contacted Joan McGilton, mayor of Burien, for an explanation, but she did not seem to be clear on the designation and suggested I contact Mike Martin for clarification.
If the Highline Times story is accurate, then I want to know why this particular area was selected and why we need an Adult Entertainment zone in Burien in the first place. Is there any other area in Burien that is currently zoned Adult Entertainment? Does this mean that topless barista coffee stands and “deju vu nightclubs” will be allowed to operate in this two block area? I sincerely hope this is not the case and would appreciate clarification on this zoning change as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Moormeier
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From local resident and YouTube User (and frequent nature videographer) 98166n comes this rather provocative video rant about graffiti and its effect on Burien:
“I support the City’s efforts to clean up graffiti, and the revised graffiti ordinance could be a useful tool.
The City of Burien could show leadership in this effort by cleaning up City properties.
The City has spent millions of dollars to improve our quality of life and also the perception of Burien in the minds of others living around the Puget Sound region.
Graffiti covering our public parks, the public face of the City most often seen by citizens and visitors, undermines all our efforts to improve our city.
This video inventory of graffiti in Burien Parks gives City managers and their contractors a place to start.
Some of it has remained for many years.
I look forward to revisiting these locations 10 days from now and finding all this graffiti removed.
When City leaders ensure that the City follows its own laws, they set an example for the citizens and speed the attainment of our collective goals.”
[WARNING: SOME NON-FAMILY FRIENDLY LANGUAGE WITHIN THIS VIDEO:]
It’ll be interesting to see what happens next – will the City respond?
Or will we see another video record and rant soon?
Hey Cityfolk…you still reading this here Blog?
TUKWILA – Another detective is being added to the Tukwila Police Department’s investigative unit to handle the recent outbreak of shootings, including the most recent one at Foster Golf Links last weekend.
The department plans to reassign a patrol supervisor with broad investigative experience to the 12-member detective unit. To fill that vacancy, Public Information Officer Mike Murphy will be reassigned from administrative duties to a squad car, Murphy said Wednesday.
Three people have been killed and two others wounded in the past three months in a city that generally sees one a homicide a year. The latest happened Sunday when two men were gunned down outside restaurant overlooking a city-owned golf course.
“We’re taking everything we can and throwing it at the problem,” Murphy said.
The sudden spike of violence couldn’t have happened at a worse time. This year, Tukwila has been celebrating its centennial anniversary with events promoting the city as a vibrant community with parks, urban trails, and regional venues beyond the Westfield Mall at Southcenter.
It has been frustrating for city leaders who invested about $500,000 in a yearlong calendar of promotions and public events, including community festivals, a soccer tournament, a culinary fair and a jazz concert by musician and former Tukwila resident Walt Wagner.
“We’re promoting all the positives of Tukwila and all the good things we have to offer and sometimes it seems like you’re treading up a waterfall,” said Mayor Jim Haggerton, who took office this year.
“But we’re not going to let them affect the positive things going on. We’re going full-steam ahead with our centennial plans,” he said.
Some neighborhood block watch groups have been concerned and Haggerton has assured them that recent incidents aren’t happening citywide.
Tukwila, referred to as the “crossroads” between Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport and South King County, boasts a population of about 18,000 that quadruples during the day. It is known for its regional shopping mall at Southcenter, which sits at the convergence of Interstates 5 and 405 just south of Seattle.
Police don’t see a pattern in the shootings, other than they’ve happened in public areas. The department might consider extra patrols or an emphasis detail if officers can isolate a factor in the violence. It’s not surprising that given Tukwila’s geography, rival groups from different areas might wind up confronting each other in the city, Murphy said.
“We’ve just been having chance meeting between rivals who have some sort of beef and it escalates to violence,” Murphy said. “There is no increase in the overall crime, just the severity of the crime that’s occurring.”
The recent cases under investigation include
- Devon Tramaine Guidry, 24, was killed Sunday outside Gordon’s on the Green, a restaurant overlooking Foster Golf Links. Guidry was one of two men shot during an argument after a jazz-style party attended by celebrities that included Gary Payton and Bruce Williams, who co-wrote a book on hip-hop artist and producer Dr. Dre.
- Rogers Jovan Ward, 24, was shot and killed March 15 during an argument in the 5700 block of South 152nd Street. Police have identified the suspect as Carlos W. Ellison III.
- A 21-year-old man was wounded March 12 in gunfire between several people outside the Southcenter mall. Police arrested two suspects who were later released.
- Allen Winston-Stewart, 24, was fatally shot in a car on Feb. 20 at South 116th Street near Tukwila International Boulevard.The recent cases represent the most violent cycle of city crime since Tukwila first annexed areas around the Pacific Highway in the 1990s and inherited the drug dealing and prostitution problems that came with the area, Murphy said.
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