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Robison
joins Burien council; Bennett selected deputy mayor Burien attorney Gerald
Robison was sworn in Jan. 3 as Burien's ...

Southwest
sewer district seeking replacement for Genzale The Southwest Suburban Sewer
District Board of Commissioners is ...

River
Ridge rips shorthanded Warriors TACOMA - Defending Class 2A champion River
Ridge of Lacey ...

Crusading
against chuckholes in White Center (Editor's Note: As promised last week,
Jerry Robinson recalls some ...

Disorderly
woman at school tops police blotter Disorderly female drops pants and makes
threats Two employees ...

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Front Page

Robison
joins Burien council; Bennett selected deputy mayor

After
rancorous debate, SeaTac passes budget

Sheriff's
detectives arrest suspect in 1983 SeaTac homicide

Homes
damaged at Burien's Three Tree Point after weekend Pineapple Express rainstorm
hits

Lake
Burien residents' request for a down zone is denied by Burien City
Council

Regional
effort launched to increase student achievement in Highline, Tukwila and other
south county school districts

Department
of Ecology holds public hearing on Burien Shoreline Master Program

Man
in critical condition after shooting himself at Burien intersection

Normandy
Park Council works to prepare Manhattan Village for redevelopment

Man
killed, 5 injuried in wrong-way crash on SR 509 in Burien

Harmony
breaks out at SeaTac council meeting

Photo by Keith Daigle

Department of Ecology holds public hearing on Burien Shoreline Master
Program

By Keith
Daigle

2010-12-08

Thirty-seven meetings later, the Burien Shoreline Master Program (SMP) is one
step closer to adoption as the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) held the
final public hearing for the Burien SMP on Dec. 8.

Every jurisdiction in the state is currently undergoing the process of
updating their shoreline plan, in compliance with state law. Every shoreline
jurisdiction in the state must have an updated SMP by 2014. With a $100,000
grant from the DOE, Burien has been working on updating the SMP since the end of
2007.

Burien adopted King County’s SMP when they incorporated in 1993. The SMP has
not been significantly changed since.

The Burien City Council voted to send the proposed SMP to the DOE on Sept.
27. On Dec. 8 the DOE held a public hearing in Burien, asking for public
testimony and comment before they make their decision.

The Department of Ecology will either approve Burien’s SMP, deny it, or send
it back to the city with revisions.

This process has sparked considerable discussion, often heated, by shoreline
property owners in Burien.

Most shoreline owners were happy by the time the Burien City Council voted to
approve the SMP and pass it to the DOE for approval. Several homeowners spoke
tonight asking the DOE to approve the SMP as it had been submitted to them.

Carol Jacobson told the DOE at the public hearing she had an online petition
of 114 people asking the DOE to approve the draft of the SMP approved by the
City Council in September, with the inclusion of a provision for the emergency
repair and replacement of bulkheads.

Bob Fritzen from the Department of Ecology called to question the 20-foot
buffer, which keeps the current setback. Fritzen said it might not meet the
DOE’s requirement of no net loss. He said information provided to them by the
Marine Homeowners Association did not get DOE officials to the 20-foot buffer.

Shoreline owners in Burien lobbied hard to get the setback in the proposed
SMP from 50 feet to 20 feet.

Fritzen described the 20-foot setback as a number that was pulled from the
air.

The DOE is also looking at how best to make the proposed language to not make
any of the structures affected by the new regulations non-conforming, Fritzen
said. He said it is doable, and something the DOE embraces. But currently there
is no language in the SMP about regulations regarding non-conforming structures.

Unless language is added in it will default to the state's language regarding
non-conforming structures. Meaning, among other things, a non-conforming
structure destroyed over 75 percent of its appraised value must be rebuilt to
meet new regulations.

Many comments were either asking for minor changes to be made to the SMP, or
for it to be approved as it is. But not everyone was happy with the changes the
council made to the SMP.

Lee Moyer, who was on the Shoreline Advisory Committee, said he felt the
council was overwhelmed by one side, and should not have lowered the setbacks
recommended by the Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission.

The DOE is accepting written comments until 5 p.m. Dec. 17. Written comments
should be sent to Bob Fritzen, WA Department of Ecology, 1440 10th St. Suite 102
Bellingham, WA 98225, or email Bob Fritzen at [email-masked].

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Robison
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Sports
Roundup

SLIDESHOW:
The Angle Lake plunge in SeaTac

River
Ridge rips shorthanded Warriors

The
thanks go to you this Thanksgiving

Cutting
classes at the newly built Highline High

Highline
hunkers down in 2010

Tony
Genzale of Tony's Produce loses battle with cancer

Marge
Nelson's dream comes true with Des Moines bakery

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