After years of controversy, voters in the south portion of North Highline have less than one more week to decide if they want to become part of Burien.
Ballots must be mailed in by Tuesday, Aug. 18. Only residents in the annexation area may vote on the measure.
There are approximately 6,100 registered voters among the 14,100 people in the proposed annexation area. The area covers 1,700 acres.
If annexation is approved, Burien’s population would increase by 44 percent to 46,000 residents. It would move from 31st largest Washington city to 21st, about the size of Olympia.
The proposed annexation would extend Burien’s northern border to Southwest 112th Street in Shorewood, except the area around the North Highline fire station at 12th Avenue Southwest.
Burien’s city limits would then go south to Southwest 116th Street, avoiding Evergreen High School and Pool as well as the Top Hat area.
The line would then head back north to South 112th Street in Beverly Park, extend to South 107th Street in Boulevard Park--taking in the Rainier Golf and Country Club, and end at Tukwila’s western border.
Burien City Manager Mike Martin points to Burien’s historic ties with the North Highline area as a reason for the city’s interest in annexation.
He maintains that services for the area would remain about the same. Special districts such as water, sewer and school district would not change.
The same firefighters will respond to calls, according to Martin.
However, annexation opponent Mark Ufkes prefers that the area join Seattle. He says the Seattle Fire Department is the best in the state. Burien’s fire department is two tiers below Seattle and the current North Highline fire district is one tier below, according to Ufkes.
Burien contracts with the King County Sheriff’s Office for police services so the same deputies would respond to calls in North Highline but would be wearing Burien police uniforms, Martin noted.
Ufkes said members of Burien Citizens Against Burien Annexation complain that Burien police officers are slow to respond to calls. Ufkes also charged Burien has a problem with graffiti on city buildings.
Martin estimates the average North Highline taxpayer joining Burien would pay about $125 more per year in taxes. Utility taxes would increase but the city’s portion of property tax would decrease, according to Martin.
Critics of annexation in North Highline and Burien complain that Burien cannot financially handle adding the annexing area, especially during the current economic downturn.
However, Martin said Burien can financially support the proposed annexation area, although the city backed off on attempting to annex the entire unincorporated North Highline area at this time. Such a move would have more than doubled Burien’s population.
In the voter’s pamphlet statement, Ufkes writes a Seattle address adds value to North Highline homes. The average home value in Westwood/White Center is $330,000 versus $287,000 in North Burien, according to statistics cited by Ufkes.
However, Bradley Hawthorne, associate broker for Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, thinks annexation could increase home values in North Highline.
Born and raised in Burien, Hawthorne is enthusiastic about recent changes in Burien, including the opening of Town Square.
“With Burien’s recent improvements, it would be a great asset to the real estate side,” Hawthorne commented.
Talking about the unincorporated area, Hawthorne said, “The area needs major support. If it is brought back as a community, it will increase home values.
“South Seattle gets a bad rap, Burien might give it a clean slate.”