While Burien City Council members are seriously split on North Highline annexation and other issues, they had refrained from personal verbal attacks in public—until their July 2 council meeting.

The issue that spurred the verbal joust was the possible consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries into one new building. King County Library System trustees have considered the recommendation from their staff but have held off action pending the November vote on annexation.

But on July 2, Councilman Jack Block Jr. accused the council majority of Mayor Brian Bennett. Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, Councilwoman Joan McGilton and Councilman Gerald Robison of secretly going along with City Manager Mike Martin’s plans to close the libraries. Block said Martin is working through an ad hoc committee to go along with consolidating the libraries. He added Martin wants to use the current White Center Library building as a police precinct station.

Clark said the committee is discussing possibly moving the White Center library closer to downtown White Center. But she insisted that Martin and the four lawmakers favor keeping the two libraries in addition to the new downtown Burien Library.

Normally soft-spoken Mayor Bennett labeled Block’s statement “a complete lie” and Councilman Robison, an attorney, called it “slanderous.”
But Block stood by his statement.

“If feelings are hurt, I don’t care,” Block declared.

Council members also turned down an attempt to place a land use amendment on the city’s comprehensive plan amendments docket.

The amendment to the city’s land use map would require that density be kept at no greater than four units per acre in the Lake Burien neighborhood.

The advocates say the lake is a critical area that should be protected from more density. They cite storm water problems and deteriorating water quality in the lake.

Block suggested the lake homeowners give development rights to a land conservancy group that would assure no further development on their property.

The Burien Planning Commission voted 4-3 earlier to reject the request.

The City Council voted 5-2 to also reject the request. Bennett, Clark, McGilton and Robison voted against adding it to the planning docket while Council members Bob Edgar and Lucy Krakowiak voted to add the request.