Seattle and King County will be asked to sign a Burien sponsored memorandum of understanding on the potential annexation of North Highline.

In January, Burien council members directed city staff to pursue cooperation with cities adjacent to North Highline. According to the Burien memorandum, March 2009 has been set as the target date for North Highline to be incorporated into an existing city.

Burien Community Development Director Scott Greenberg last week presented council members with a draft of the proposed cooperative plan. The Burien City Council unanimously told Interim City Manager David Cline to sign the memorandum.

Greenberg told lawmakers that solutions stemming from cooperation among the various jurisdictions "should designate logical and achievable potential annexation boundaries.

"There won't be any parts [of North Highline] left out of the annexation equation or any overlaps, such as there currently are between Tukwila and Seattle in the northeast corner of the area," said Greenberg.

He noted that the memorandum designates common criteria for Burien, Seattle and King County to agree to use in annexation decisions. These include the preservation of natural neighborhoods and physical boundaries; logical service areas; prevention of abnormally irregular boundaries; and political, financial and social implications.

Elected officials, including King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Councilman Dow Constantine, are scheduled to meet on tomorrow to discuss and perhaps sign the memorandum.

"I think that we will provide a good statement to our partners that we are ready to discuss this and we are ready to work on this," said Greenberg.

However, he wasn't sure if King County or Seattle will be ready to sign at that meeting.

Greenberg also told council members that, beginning in May, Burien will work in the community until North Highline is designated as a potential annexation area by Burien or Seattle, or by both cities.

Community discussions will begin in North Highline in April and soon thereafter in Burien, he said.

Greenberg anticipates the process could lead to an annexation designation by fall.

Carrie Wood can be reached at wseditor@robinsonnews.com