Burien council members unanimously approved on Feb. 27 the design for a new city hall/King County Regional Library building that will anchor Town Square.

“This is an important milestone for us because it’s the point at which we have defined the architecture, the planning of the project and we are in the process of pricing what we’ve designed,” said Ed Ruffcorn, an architect with Ruffcorn Mott Hinthorne and Stein.

Construction of the new city hall/library at Fourth Avenue Southwest and Southwest 152nd Street -- currently the site of the vacant Puget Sound Educational Service District building -- is scheduled to begin next year with completion scheduled for 2008.

The design for the three-level structure uses glass, natural sandstone and beige cast stone for the building’s exterior.

“There’s a strong intent to create a building and use materials that will age well over time, and create a sense of intimacy, permanence and dignity,” Ruffcorn noted.

Design development, which Public Works Director Stephen Clark said is where the details and “fine-tuning” will take place, and drafting construction documents are the only project steps remaining before construction can begin.

Ruffcorn described the city hall/library project as “a unique collaboration” between the city and the King County Library System.

The architects have worked closely with city staff and the library system to create both a “flagship library” and a “state-of-the-art city hall,” he said.

“The library is the centerpiece of the Town Square project. This is also a building that will set the precedent for the quality of projects yet to come.”

Ruffcorn noted that in September, the council approved the architects’ contract for $183,000, including $70,000 to complete the schematic design phase.

The new building, which will be adjacent to a park in Town Square, will relate to the activities within the park and will also reinforce an entry for people who come by way of the nearby transit center, he continued.

Plans call for one entrance into the city hall/library building from Southwest 152nd Street and another from a parking garage that leads into a common lobby of the building.

Within the lobby will be two access points: one to the library on the second floor; the other a “gracious staircase” that leads to the third-floor city hall with mountain views and meeting rooms that overlook the park.

A small first-floor coffee shop and lounge will serves the entire building. It will be a comfortable living room-like space with casual furniture and doors open to the park he said.

Ruffcorn added, “It was our intent to use materials that suggest and portray an icon of city importance, utilizing durable materials that will age well over time.

“We wanted to create a building that would have a sense of dignity and permanence but at the same time creates a sense of detail and pedestrian scale.”

The top of the building will feature glass and metal detail with some sunshades to mitigate bright light, but large windows will be maintained to “advertise” what goes on inside the building by creating a sense of open government, Ruffcorn said.

At night, the large windows will light up the plaza and serve as a welcoming beacon.

He also told lawmakers there is public concern about the visibility of the parking garage and how imposing it may be on Fourth Avenue.

The architect’s intent is to landscape around the garage so it should be “virtually invisible” except for the two entrances into it, Ruffcorn noted.

Deputy Mayor Jack Block Jr. and Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak expressed concern with the council chambers on the third floor.

“This should be a community living room and having some doors that would open up into the park from the chambers and inviting the public in is a very important element of this [project],” Block stated.

Ruffcorn said while one of the issues is maintaining large windows for park visibility, there will be doors that will allow park access from the chamber.

Krakowiak, who called it “a beautiful building,” was also concerned about heating and cooling, especially in the summer with a wall facing south.

“We are designing the entire building to meet the standards that are leadership in environmental and energy design,” Ruffcorn assured her.

“We are designing a green roof on the building, incorporating high performance materials, particularly in the big window that opens onto the intersection of Fourth and 152nd, such as solar sun shading, so we can protect the glass and the interior from direct sun.”

He said motorized blinds behind the glass wall will help keep the building naturally ventilated.

Councilwoman Rose Clark said one of the issues she has is history. She observed that this is the original location of the library and that the original fountain will be relocated adjacent to the new building.

“Over time we have had a lot of folks who have served on the board. I think it would be nice if we could have a solid place to talk about the history of Burien and the library.”

She noted th currently city does not have many place like this.

Ruffcorn said that this space would be part of the final plan.

Information about the city hall/regional library building design, including images of what it will look like, can be found at www.ci.burien.wa.us.

In other business, lawmakers discussed ways to improve citizen participation in the community.

Clark said the city does a good job getting out information and inviting the public to meetings, but the “interactive piece” is missing.

“Public comment is not always the answer,” she added.

The city should take advantage of issues and events that attract crowds of people to present information that needs to get out,” Councilwoman Sue Blazak suggested.

“Some of the events such as the Strawberry Festival and Clean Sweep give opportunities to provide information.”

Block said the problem is not that information is not getting out, but that “we need to identify how the community best wants to have information given to them.”

“I want to see people come and participate,” Krakowiak added.

Community Relations Director Jan Roegner introduced to the council a model of community involvement in which the city’s message and purpose are clearly defined.

Depending on the issue, the council would determine what degree of community engagement is desired and the city would use the appropriate strategies.

A community involvement process will be designed with guidance from the council in the coming weeks to engage Burien residents in the North Highline annexation discussion.