Five Burien City Council members say that they now favor designating the entire North Highline Unincorporated Area as a potential annexation area.

Council members voted 5-2 last month to target only two areas in the southern part of North Highline as preferred annexation areas.

But on Sept. 5, Burien planning commissioners rejected the council plan and recommended on a 4-3 vote that the council declare all of North Highline a potential annexation area.

Five of Burien's seven council members appeared to agree with the planning commission at last week's meeting that designating the full unincorporated area would afford the city time to examine carefully all financial and other impacts of annexation on the community.

Burien lawmakers are expected to take final action on designating a potential annexation area at their Oct. 7 meeting.

The council's preferred alternative was the area north of South/Southwest 128th Street and south of South/Southwest 116th and South 112th streets, west of Glendale Way South and east of Ambaum Boulevard Southwest, and another area north of Southwest 116th Street and south of Southwest 106th and Southwest 107th streets, west of 16th Avenue Southwest.

"I'm not in support of full annexation, but I support a full (potential annexation area)," said Burien Mayor Joan McGilton. "A full (potential annexation area) gives more flexibility."

"We need to be accurate with numbers," said Councilmember Sally Nelson. Doing a full potential annexation area "is the only way to have certainty about numbers and possibilities. The only way to find if it makes sense is to study the whole area."

Nelson also challenged claims by opponents of annexation that the city council is favoring special interests groups.

"I cannot put aside what I see as essential public services for the city of Burien," Nelson said, referring to police, fire, water and sewer services that opposed to any annexation have called "special interest groups."

Deputy Mayor Jack Block Jr. and council members Rose Clark and Gordon Shaw also indicated support for a full potential annexation area.

Council members Sue Blazak and Lucy Krakowiak, however, remained opposed to a full potential annexation area.

"We've studied it to death," said Blazak. "It's not responsible to make a decision based on potential."

Look at the areas that the council intends to annex, added Krakowiak. "If you don't intend to do a full annexation, don't do a full PAA."

Frustration with Seattle over the annexation issue also surfaced at the study session.

Interim City Manager David Cline reported that Seattle does not accept Burien's preferred alternative.

Nor would Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels support Burien making all of North Highline a preferred annexation area.

"The collaborative spirit of the memorandum of understanding feels like a one-way street on the Seattle side," said Councilmember Gordon Shaw.

The sense from Seattle seems to be "we're going to get what we want...whatever is left over we give to Burien," Shaw said.

"I don't feel that sense of cooperation is there with Seattle," Clark added.

John Newton, vice chairman of the planning commission, emphasized their position that a full potential annexation area "allows for greatest potential of growth and development. It keeps existing communities and provides the same level of service.

"If we designated to small an area, can't make it bigger. Go bigger and then cut down, phase in smaller portions," said Newton.

However, at a public hearing on the issue, there was a strong push for no annexation from members of the community, along with support from a few for annexation of the area by Burien.

"It's a young group that lives in North Highline, and they prefer Seattle," said Seattle resident Greg McCorkle.

The North Highline area is where the council is focusing all of their energy, said Burien resident Steven Peterson. The council should put their energy into the fiscal problems without the area.

"Please listen to the residents of North Highline," said North Highline resident Lois Schipper. "There is a growing force working" against annexation by Burien.

But some North Highline residents disagreed.

"I see no strong push of people wanting to go to Seattle," said Don Webb, a North Highline resident.

"Seattle has never given us the time of day," said Wendell Norwood, another North Highline resident. "Make King County come back to the table and help solve the problem since they're the one that caused it."

Sara Loken can be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com