(Editor's Note: This letter was sent to Burien City Councilwoman Kathy Keene with a copy to the Times/News.)

Dear Ms. Keene,
This is a first for me, writing to a city council member. But I cannot sit by passively and watch the city council make a foolish move toward annexing North Highline, including White Center.

I speak for myself and I speak for many Burien neighbors when I say DO NOT DO IT! I have lived in Burien for 57 years. Mostly I've been proud of Burien and it's small town feel and also the growth exemplified by the revitalization of Olde Burien and Burien Town Square project.

I was in favor of annexing the Southern section of North Highline. I am in favor of utilizing the area by Sea-Tac airport along Des Moines Memorial Parkway for warehouse and light industry. I was in total agreement with Burien City officials about the Lora Lake Apartment complex and it's dismantlement.

But to annex White Center is a huge mistake and one that is not wanted and will not be tolerated by the Burien constituency. I have talked with many neighbors and the feeling is unanimous, we the citizens of Burien do not want to annex White Center.

We were all appalled at the article in the Seattle Times where you advocated for annexation and claimed that the citizens in White Center share the same values as Burien citizens. Based on the crime rate of North Highline, I don't believe that is the case.

Our tax base is high enough; we don't need to take on a high maintenance area that will cost the citizens of Burien even more. I know for a fact that will be the case.
I have lived here a very long time and I know this area very well. I went to Sunnydale, Sunset and Highline. I have had contact with a lot of people over the years in every part of the greater Highline area and I can state unequivocally that annexing North Highline is a bad idea for Burien and should not be pursued.

To do so by the city council would be to go against the will of the citizens of Burien that elected them and would be a dereliction of civic duty to represent the people of the city. If the council feels so adamant about annexation, put it to a vote by the people. Not the people of North Highline, but a vote of the citizens of the City of Burien. You will clearly hear then that I am correct in my assertions on this matter.

Finally, because of the distasteful manner that the "Shoreline Protection Act" has been foisted on the homeowners of Burien by the "Select Committee" appointed by the city council, many of whom don't even live in Burien and none of which owns any shoreline in Burien and now this advocacy for annexing North Highline by the City Council, I am aware of talk about the South of Burien, mainly the section of homes from the Normandy Park border along the shoreline to Shorewood seceding from Burien with a 51 percent vote of the homeowners in that designated area and forming the city of Seahurst, which at a later date would petition to be annexed by the City of Normandy Park.
This is not a threat; it is a real possibility.

The question is, do you want to be the Burien City Council that lost the Southern and Western Burien high property value homes because you refused to listen to your constituency?

David Parker
Colleen Hinton
Arthur Greef
Burien