“Don’t Play Monopoly With Our Lives”: ReZoning Plan Could Affect 264 Burien Homes

Letter writer warns the proposed North of NERA rezone could convert a long-standing residential neighborhood into future industrial zone.

Editor’s note: Community Perspectives submissions reflect the views of the author and may be lightly edited for clarity, grammar, and length.

Context: The North of NERA ReZone proposal is included in Burien’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan and concerns property north of the Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA).

The planning commission of the City of Burien is moving forward to ReZone an entire neighborhood from single family homes to Industrial Business. Their claim is that they want to make job numbers where people now already live, and many have livelihoods out of their homes and properties.

This outline comprises 264 homes and residents, and any industrial zoning or businesses will be pushing people out. This whole neighborhood is filled with families who care about their homes, their yards full of kids and pets, some of whom have lived here for decades as well as generations. That will be destroyed with this attempt at rezoning for Industrial Businesses. For the fragile wetlands and the very widely used park it shares a street with, used by local schools and residents, this will mean a degradation.

I say there’s room for improvement in this town without destroying what is already good and vibrant.

Their draft recommends 50% residential—of the 100% now existing residential homes.

Questions raised during conversations with Planning Commission members:

• When asked of a planning commissioner if they could guarantee no warehouses be built, they said they would bring it up at a meeting.
• When asked what they will do when no one wants to sell, there was no answer.
• The same person claimed that residents have been notified. When I told them no one I had talked to had been, again they said they would bring it up at a meeting.
• When pressed on the severity of this proposal, committee members have tried to walk back the wording and information in their own draft.
• Both committee members have told me what an opportunity for the area this is.
• One member stated it’s just a discussion. However, the project timeline states the rezoning is set to be adopted by the City Council this summer.

I have been disheartened that people working for the city think so little of its residents and voters as to attempt to permanently alter an entire neighborhood and tell us it’s an opportunity.

The people who invest their lives and families and every single dollar into this city year after year, like I have, deserve much better than a planning committee and City Council that would attempt to play Monopoly with their lives and say it’s a gift.

Some may have seen a change.org/NoNERAproject petition started, and I hope it shows the feelings of the neighborhood in response to this. If you live in this neighborhood you will also see me going around to inform people in person and ask for signatures to do what we can by law to tell the Council that we wish to keep our neighborhood and homes intact.

—Lindsay Harris, Burien Homeowner

In the City of Burien's own words:

“This draft Existing Conditions and Zoning Limitations Report establishes the physical and regulatory framework that will guide the development of future zoning alternatives for the North of NERA Rezone Project. The project area is designated for industrial land use in the Burien 2044 Comprehensive Plan to help meet the city's long-term employment growth targets; however, existing conditions within the area contrast with the large-scale industrial development pattern found immediately to the south within the Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA).”

“The North of NERA Rezone Project area is designated as industrial in the future land use map as adopted in the Burien 2044 Comprehensive Plan to meet the allocated job target of 4,770 net new jobs citywide by 2044. While the Comprehensive Plan establishes the long-term vision for land use, zoning serves as the implementing tool that determines what uses are allowed, how they can look, and what regulations apply. Future zoning alternatives will be developed within the context and limitations identified in this report and shaped by input from the Burien Planning Commission, residents, property owners and business community.”

FULL DRAFT on NERA future zoning: https://burienwa.civicweb.net/document/216505/20260211%20Draft%20Existing%20Conditions%20and%20Zoning%20Limi.pdf?handle=349BF59FD4E2403093C23C590395236C

BurienWA.gov webpage on NERA:
https://www.burienwa.gov/business/community_development/planning_initiatives/northeast_redevelopment_area

CONTACT EMAILS for Burien City Planners:
chaneys@burienwa.gov
planningcommission@burienwa.gov
council@burienwa.gov

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