Cities
Burien Planning Commission Meeting Dec. 10, 2025 Agenda
On December 10, the Burien Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt all five items of the proposed 2026 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket, including revisions to Shoreline residential zoning in Three Tree Point, Lake Burien, and Seahurst. The recommendation now moves to the incoming City Council for consideration in January 2026.
Planning Commissioners attending in person were Heidi Turner, Joshua Halpin, Jessica Ivey, Shelli Park, Hayden Campbell, and Sam Ostrander. Commissioner Jimmy Matta, Jr. attended via Zoom.
Senior Planner Chaney Skadsen opened the meeting with a presentation outlining all five docket items. The main item in question, Exhibit 1 Table, Item 5 (see chart below) was a council-directed request to correct residential zoning in shoreline neighborhoods based on the Shoreline Master Plan and state law. Skadsen and the planning department advised commissioners to advance only Items 1 through 4 of the Table to the Council. Staff argued that Item 5, revisiting shoreline zoning, would not serve the public interest, would be expensive, and was unnecessary.
Public Testimony Dominated by Shoreline Residents
Seven residents - five in person, and two by Zoom - offered public comment. Five of the seven were from Seahurst or other shoreline neighborhoods. They urged commissioners to recommend including all five items. They noted that the 2044 Comprehensive Plan and 2025 zoning map contain documented inconsistencies with the Shoreline Master Plan, the Growth Management Act, and Washington state law.
Additional Public Hearing comments by residents:
- Questioned the city’s assertion that reversing the zoning errors would cost between $55,000 and $70,000 because the Planning Department failed to present an itemized list of what the real costs would be.
- Warned that maintaining current high-density designations on non-buildable shoreline parcels could inflate property taxes.
- Challenged the city’s claim that Item 5 was unnecessary and not in the public interest.
- Reminded commissioners that the city has the money, resources, and the responsibility to correct the 2044 Comp Plan and 2025 Housing Zoning.
Only two speakers supported keeping the existing zoning, which allows higher density in certain shoreline areas. They were former Planning Commission Chair Charles Schaefer (who in 2023 was removed from the Commission for violating Commission rules) and new Councilmember Rocco DeVito (ex-Planning Commissioner who resigned in solidarity with Charles Schaefer). DeVito is a newly sworn-in council member who identified himself only as a resident of Seahurst during his online testimony.
Commission Deliberation and Amendments
Commissioners engaged in a heated and lengthy discussion about whether or not to forward all five items. Commissioner Jimmy Matta Jr. introduced the primary motion to support Option 2 and added a stipulation that any zoning correction work be capped at $55,000 to $70,000 in city costs and that he would know where the money to do this would come from.
Commissioners reflected both on public comments and the city planner’s recommendations.
However, in a jolting mid-discussion moment, one of the virtual attendees, Councilmember DeVito - unwittingly and publicly, via an unmuted Zoom connection - made a vulgar and disparaging comment, aimed at “those rich people,” some of whom had just testified on their zoning concerns. He has since apologized.
See his full statement here: Burien Councilmember Takes Heat for Vulgar Comment, as reported by The Highline Journal on December 17.
The most debated issue involved an amendment proposed by Commissioner Ostrander related to sidewalks and multimodal transportation. The amendment prompted disagreement over whether transportation elements were appropriate for the 2026 docket cycle, as the 2044 Comprehensive Plan already includes a Transportation Plan. Both commissioners and planning staff expressed uncertainty about what transportation provisions were already adopted.
As confusion escalated, Planning Director Liz Stead attempted to apply Robert’s Rules of Order and finally called a brief recess to allow staff and commissioners to confer.
Final Vote
Following deliberations, the commission voted on Option 3, recommending all five docket items, including the shoreline zoning corrections, and the transportation-related amendment.
Yes: Halpin, Turner, Ivey, Matta
No: Ostrander, Campbell
Chair Park’s vote was inaudible on the public recording.
Next Steps
As Senior Planner Skadsen noted during the meeting, the Planning Commission’s role is advisory. Final authority rests with the Burien City Council, which will review the 2026 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket in January 2026.
The recommendation signals majority support from the Planning Commission for addressing shoreline zoning concerns raised by residents and returning Council-directed corrections for formal consideration.
Next Planning Commission Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 5:30 pm.
Editor’s Note
The Highline Journal is committed to accurate, transparent, and fair reporting. This article is based on the official public recording of the December 10, 2025 Burien Planning Commission meeting, staff presentations, and on-the-record public testimony. To allow readers to review the full context for themselves, we have included the full video of the meeting.
Dec 10, 2025 Full Planning Commission Meeting Video
Members Discussion