I was saddened to see recent news stories of apartment tenants losing their homes in Burien. I served as Burien City Manager for over seven years. I negotiated the Lora Lake Apartments agreements with the City and the Port of Seattle.

The King County Housing Authority's (KCHA) media hype about this issue is not the full story-it isn't the truth.

Before Sea-Tac International Airport's third runway begins operations, over one-third of the complex must be torn down to comply with federal aviation safety rules. None of the amenities that exist at the apartment complex today will be available after the demolition.

For 30 years, Burien's eastern neighborhoods have been adversely impacted by airport noise. Schools have closed, property values are diminished, neighborhoods are sliced up and commercial services are gone.

This is federal aviation policy. Burien's situation is not unique to other airport cities. Finding a way to reduce these impacts has been a burden the City Council has faced since 1993 when Burien incorporated.

The Port of Seattle, which operates the airport and owns the Lora Lake property, and Burien reached a creative solution to these impacts in re-zoning the neighborhood in 2004 to phase out residential uses and phase in airport-compatible commercial uses.

Sen. Maria Cantwell's office also helped Burien by sponsoring an amendment to federal law for more flexibility for the airport in its buyout decisions.

In 2000, the KCHA signed agreements with the Port of Seattle and the City of Burien for temporary leases of the Lora Lake Apartments. Those contracts require an orderly phase out all tenants by July 2007.

The City did not want more residents living under the flight path in isolated housing exposed to high noise and aircraft pollution-especially its poorest residents.

Demolition complies with federal regulations and makes way for aviation safety and airport commercial uses. Commercial re-use allows the city, schools, fire districts and other government agencies in Burien to recover the estimated $1 million tax base eliminated by the federal buyout.

The re-zoning decision went through public hearings and community involvement. The KCHA did not participate.

Stirring up a media fuss and sending letters to state and federal officials with a misleading story just 90 days before the complex closure is not "good faith" stewardship by KCHA or contract performance by an agency with a legal duty to serve the City.

Had the KCHA changed its mind on its contract with the City and Port, it had seven years to make its case. Just two years ago, it extended the lease under the same conditions originally approved requiring a lease phase out date.

For seven years, I asked the KCHA to help Burien deal with housing rehabilitation and affordable housing issues, including replacement housing downtown for residents losing their homes from the airport buyout. While conversations were cordial and professional, nothing was offered.

KCHA was busy with other projects such as White Center's Park Lake Homes. But this mixed-income project actually reduces the supply of several hundred low-income units available in the County.

The media spin promoted by KCHA has seriously damaged its credibility with me. Burien re-zoned its downtown for multi-family housing to create an "urban center" with transit, public and private services and retail uses available within walking distance.

We involved the agencies serving our poorest residents in our plans. Burien's efforts to embrace its diversity and poorest residents have been recognized by the National League of Cities in a 2007 publication on building equitable communities.

A mixed-income project with affordable housing is an ideal development near its Town Square project and planned Transit Center. The zoning is in place for hundreds of units to be built; the land is owned by the County and the City has been working with Metro Transit to develop mixed use and housing on the site.

KCHA owes Burien and the Port an apology for breaking cooperative agreements. Then it needs to sit down and work with the City and County to create affordable, mixed income housing in Burien - away from the runway. It needs a cooperative plan and committed follow through.

Warehousing people adjacent to the runway take-off zone isn't a solution.

Editor's note: Gary Long served as Burien city manager from 1998 to 2006.