Burien’s North of NERA Plan Draws Sharp Questions from Cedarhurst Residents

The City of Burien hosted an open house Wednesday, April 22, ahead of its Planning Commission meeting at City Hall, where proposed zoning changes for the “North of NERA” area were presented. Residents are increasingly referring to the area as the Cedarhurst Neighborhood.

Neighbors say they are now organizing in response. One resident said the community is “banding together to inform each other and organize… to protect [their] beloved neighborhood.” A petition and informational website have been launched, and another community meeting is planned for April 29 with Boulevard Park and Highline residents to discuss next steps.

At the open house, community members spoke directly with Community Development Director Liz Stead and Senior Planner Chaney Skadsen about the proposal tied to the city’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan. One Cedarhurst resident said the answers felt limited from the start. “When I asked Liz during the open house if there was a possibility of the zone change being something other than industrial, she said, ‘no, not really,’” the attendee said.

The Planning Commission meeting followed at 5:30 p.m., where planners outlined the scope of the proposal. About 700 of the city’s projected 4,770 new jobs could be placed within this neighborhood. Planners also acknowledged that a goal and likely consequence of the plan is to phase out single-family homes over time.

The proposal includes new “airport zone” overlays within the neighborhood, each with different allowances and restrictions on housing, businesses, and future development. According to residents, the plan would not encourage additional residential growth in the area going forward.

Concerns quickly surfaced about what uses would still be allowed. “Do they know that even a daycare is listed as a non-compatible business?” one Cedarhurst resident asked during the meeting.

Planning commissioners asked questions on behalf of residents and pushed for clearer answers in several exchanges. One moment stood out when a commissioner asked whether homeowners could still build accessory dwelling units for a period after the zoning change. According to attendees, the response was unclear. After beginning to answer, Skadsen said, “Well, I’ll just let you finish your question.” The commissioner replied, “I was finished.” A direct answer did not follow.

Residents also questioned how much flexibility remains in the process. One attendee said they asked whether the Burien City Council could reject the plan or send it back with changes. “Possible, but very unlikely,” they said they were told. The same resident added, “If it’s very unlikely, why is there even a council vote at all then?”

Questions about coordination with nearby cities, including SeaTac, were raised during the meeting but not fully addressed.

Additional concerns included uncertainty about how future amendments to the zoning could be controlled and whether building height limits could be enforced. Planners indicated that some aspects of development would be shaped by market forces and may not be tightly regulated.

For many Cedarhurst residents, the concern is what these changes could mean for existing families and long-standing homes. With the proposal moving forward, residents say they plan to stay engaged as the process heads toward a City Council decision in the coming months.