Group Formed To Negotiate Changes In Burien’s Shoreline Plan With Ecology

by Ralph Nichols Burien’s five-member working group, which will negotiate changes to the city’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP) required by the state Department of Ecology, has now been named. Appointed... [Read more]

BREAKING: Agreement Possible In Standoff Over Burien’s Shoreline Plan

by Ralph Nichols A compromise agreement that could end the standoff over Burien’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP) may be in the works. City Councilman Gordon Shaw asked at the end of the council’s Oct.... [Read more]

Salmon Being Caught At Three Tree Point; But Where Can Fisherfolk Relieve Themselves?

Pink and Coho Salmon are invading Puget Sound on their annual migration to breeding grounds in area rivers, which means that suddenly it’s really pretty easy to catch a decent fish (usually a Pink)... [Read more]

Des Moines Farmers Market Opens Saturday; Here’s What To Expect

The Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market officially opens its season this Saturday, June 4th at 10 a.m. at South Marina Park in Des Moines (between 6-7 miles south of Burien – map below), and here’s... [Read more]

City Council Rejects Shoreline Buffer/Setback Requested by Dept. of Ecology

by Ralph Nichols Burien City Council members drew a line in the sand Monday night (May 9). They won’t adopt four amendments to the updated Burien Shoreline Master Program (SMP), as requested recently... [Read more]

City Council To Review State’s Demands For Changes In Local Shoreline Plan

by Ralph Nichols Last summer, when Burien City Council members were updating the local Shoreline Master Program (SMP), the state Department of Ecology never defined “no net loss of ecological function”... [Read more]

Burien’s Controversial Shoreline Program Moves Toward Ecology Approval

On Thursday (April 28th), the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced that it has approved nearly all parts of Burien’s recently updated (and controversial) Shoreline Master Program,... [Read more]

No Evidence Offered At Hearing That Larger Buffers Better Protect Waterfront

by Ralph Nichols If there was really any question about the primary focus of state regulators as they review Burien’s updated Shoreline Master Program (SMP), it was settled at Wednesday night’s (Dec.8)... [Read more]

Ecology Starts Review Of Burien’s Shoreline Master Program; Hearing Dec. 8th

On a day when parts of Burien’s shoreline were battered so hard by a storm that at least one house has been condemned, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced that it is seeking... [Read more]

Burien City Council Adopts Updated Shoreline Plan, Ending 2-Year Process

by Ralph Nichols Burien City Council members approved a revised Shoreline Master Program (SMP – link here) on a 6-1 vote at their Sept. 27 meeting. Councilman Gordon Shaw, who said “what we’ve... [Read more]

Burien City Council Expected To Approve Revised Shoreline Plan Tonight

by Ralph Nichols If, as anticipated, the city council adopts an updated Shoreline Master Program (SMP) for Burien tonight (Monday, Sept. 27), its final approval will mark the end of an arduous two-year... [Read more]

Burien City Council Likely To Approve Updated Shoreline Plan Sept. 27

by Ralph Nichols Burien City Council members agreed on Monday night (Sept. 13) to place adoption of an updated and revised Shoreline Master Program (SMP) on the consent calendar for their next regular... [Read more]

Lake Burien Homeowners Look For Changes In Shoreline Regulations

by Ralph Nichols Third of four parts. Much of the recent comment on proposed revisions to Burien’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP), by city council members and the public alike, has focused on developed... [Read more]

Burien Council To Hold Final SMP Discussion Monday Night Starting At 6pm

by Ralph Nichols Burien City Council members are set for what they anticipate will be their final discussion on Monday, Sept. 13, of updated shoreline regulations before adopting a revised Shoreline Master... [Read more]

Council Extends Consideration Of New Shoreline Plan To Sept. 20

by Ralph Nichols Adoption of Burien’s revised Shoreline Master Program (SMP), which was tentatively scheduled for Sept. 13 after an earlier postponement, will be delayed at least one more week. City... [Read more]

Marine Homeowners Provide Needed Baseline For Shoreline Plan Review

by Ralph Nichols Part 2 of 4 parts When environmental scientists spoke to Burien City Council members late this spring about protection of marine ecological functions along the Puget Sound shoreline,... [Read more]

Two Views Of Council Decision To Retain 20-Foot Buffer For Shoreline Homes

by Ralph Nichols Burien shoreline residents living along Puget Sound are pleased with the city council’s Aug. 16 decision to keep the existing 20-foot setback for homes and other structures. But not... [Read more]

Burien City Council Votes To Retain 20-foot Buffer For Shoreline Homes

by Ralph Nichols Waterfront homeowners won a major victory on Aug. 16 when the Burien City Council voted 4-3 to keep the current 20-foot setback for homes and other structures along its Puget Sound shoreline.... [Read more]