Seattle has followed Burien's lead by voting to designate North Highline as a potential annexation area.

This means the big city will take a closer look at annexing White Center, Boulevard Park and the rest of the unincorporated area.

The Seattle City Council voted 6-3 last week to study the issue of annexation more closely.

After the expected approval of Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle city planners will refine cost estimates.

They'll also figure out what needed public facilities King County would agree to pay for and which the city of Seattle would be willing to cover.

"Annexation should be more than the financial bottom line," said Councilman David Della, who voted in favor of designating North Highline a potential annexation area.

"It should be about the possibility of providing quality of life to these communities."

The Burien City Council made a similar potential annexation area designation for North Highline last month on a 5-2 vote.

Seattle city planners will soon meet with the special districts that provide fire, water and sewer service to North Highline residents, said Kenny Pittman of the Seattle Office of Policy and Management.

The city will look closely at how much Seattle would have to invest in building needed public facilities in North Highline.

Until now, financial studies projected costs for operations and maintenance only, Pittman said.

The additional studies are expected to be completed in late 2007.

The Burien City Council voted Nov. 6 to declare North Highline a potential annexation area. As in Seattle, research in Burien is focused more closely on the financial aspects of annexing North Highline.

The Burien Department of Community Development hired Berk & Associates, a private consulting firm that's done previous annexation studies for the city.

The consultant will predict how much it might cost over the next 12 to 15 years to annex North Highline, said Scott Greenberg, director of the Burien Community Development Department.

Among the topics to be studied is whether Burien could afford to pay for ongoing maintenance of Evergreen Pool. King County pays for that now.

How much might it cost to redevelop Park Lake Homes Site II? How much might it cost to build a parking structure at the Burien Transit Center? Could Burien shoulder the cost of those projects in addition to annexing North Highline?

Berk & Associates will use an economic model to help predict future property values and property taxes. Then the consultant will analyze whether it would be cheaper for the city of Burien to continue contracting with the King County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement or create its own city police department.

A similar analysis will be done regarding fire protection. Would it be less expensive to contract with the Seattle Fire Department to protect Burien or continue with the North Highline Fire District?

Burien's additional studies should be completed by early next spring, Greenberg said.

After this next round of studies is completed, officials in both Seattle and Burien will decide whether or not to pursue annexation of North Highline.

Ultimately, the residents of North Highline will vote on whether they want to join Seattle or Burien.

Seattle City Council members who voted in favor of designating North Highline as a potential annexation area were Council President Nick Licata, Richard Conlin, David Della, Richard McIver, Jean Godden and Sally Clark.

Opposed to the offer were council members Tom Rasmussen, Jan Drago and Peter Steinbrueck.

The Seattle City Council designation must be OK'd by Mayor Greg Nickels and, since the mayor of Seattle has long favored annexing North Highline, the ordinance is almost certain to gain his approval.

In Burien, those voting in favor of designating North Highline as a potential annexation area were Mayor Joan McGilton, Deputy Mayor Jack Block Jr., and City Councilmembers Sally Nelson, Rose Clark and Gordon Shaw.

Councilmembers Sue Blazak and Lucy Krakowiak voted against the annexation proposal.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at tstclair@robinsonnews.com or 206-932-0300.