Burien's transit-oriented development project is on hold, the apparent hostage of King County Executive Ron Sims if the city proceeds with plans to demolish and replace the Lora Lake Apartments.

City Manager Mike Martin told the Times/News last week that a county request for qualifications from private developers to build the $12.5 million project likely won't be issued this month as anticipated.

This was confirmed by Kurt Triplett, Sims' chief of staff, who rejected the notion that the county executive is "pulling the plug" on Burien's long-planned transit-oriented development near Town Square.

But, Triplett admitted, Sims "has said the county will reprioritize the funding if we have to replace" affordable housing at Lora Lake.

"We propose to put [the funds for Burien] into other transit-oriented development projects in other cities.... For example, White Center is a place where we could really have a huge impact with a transit-oriented development."

Mayor Joan McGilton countered that Burien is being told what to do.

"So where do we go from here?" McGilton asked.

"Ron Sims came to us and asked for us to discuss if there is any incentive that would make us change our minds. And we have to talk about that as a council.

"It is important to continue the dialog with those that are not listening about what is important to our community," she continued. "If there is a win-win, that's what Burien wants and I hope we find it soon."

Built in the late 1980s, the Lora Lake Apartments-a 234-unit affordable housing complex-were bought by the Port of Seattle in 1998.

Burien, the Port and the King County Housing Authority, which manages the apartments, agreed they would remain open until 2005, and later extended the closing date to June 2007.

The apartments are less than 1,000 feet from the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport.

Lora Lake is within the city's Northeast Redevelopment Area, which is zoned light industrial. Burien's comprehensive plan could be amended to allow commercial development there, including a "big box" store at the Lora Lake site.

"We sympathize with the need for low-income housing," Martin said last week. "But we've got it here."

He cited statistics that show 81 percent of rental units in Burien "are accessible to low- to moderate-income families, compared with a county wide average of 46."

Burien City Councilwoman Sue Blazak called Sims' threat "cutting off your nose to spite your face. I see putting affordable housing in the transit-oriented development as good planning because all the services are there, the transportation is there....

"Once the third runway goes in the people who have the means will leave [Lora Lake]. Left behind will be the poorest people ... in an isolated area 900 feet from the airport without the resources they need. I don't see that as responsible government."

McGilton noted that Burien has declared for seven years "this area is not be residential," and for 10 years "we have been looking to get this property and the Northeast Redevelopment Area back on the tax rolls. That's our message."

King County, as a region, "does not support affordable housing as much as Burien is, and Tukwila and Des Moines," she added.

Triplett, however, argued that Burien wants big-box retail that would replace affordable housing at Lora Lake, then compete with new retail in the Town Square development.

If Burien does not care enough not to compete with itself, why should the county allocate scarce financial resources for transit-oriented development in the city, he asked.

Triplett called they city's position "adversarial."

King County Council members Dow Constantine, D-West Seattle, and Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, said they have expressed to Sims their concern over his threat to withhold funds already appropriated for transit-oriented development in Burien.

"It would be unfortunate if this project were hobbled by the loss of additional funding, and I'll be working to avoid that," Constantine said.

Blazak added that she sees no logic in Sims' claim that a big box store would compete with businesses planned for Town Square.

That is not the case, she said, calling it a non-issue.

"Like all the cities around here, we're struggling.... We need to diversify our revenue stream to pay for basic services that we need. So it's ironic that they want us to keep housing there."