Burien lawmakers honored April 25 New Start students who were named Earth Heroes and OK’d a contract to store big rocks from Seahurst Park on Port of Seattle property.

But the most exciting council meeting event was the evacuation of council chambers and the Burien Library after a prankster pulled the fire alarm.
City Manager Mike Martin said a boy entered the shared City Hall/ library building, pulled the alarm and escaped down the street.

There was no indication of a fire but the shrill alarm distracted the meeting to the point where council members and audience members fled the building. About two dozen library patrons also milled around the outside of the building for about 15 minutes. A Burien firefighter checked the building and turned off the alarm before the evacuees reentered the building.

The big rocks from Seahurst Park will be taken from the seawall as part of the city’s restoration of the north beach to a more natural condition. The south shore was restored previously.

Trucking the rocks to isolated Port property near Des Moines Memorial Drive and South 144th Street could save the city $500,000, according to Public Works director Larry Blanchard. The south shore rocks were transported to Tacoma by barge.

The approximately 8,900 tons of rock will be stockpiled in a hill about four feet high by 100 feet wide and 100 feet long.

The truck haul route between the park and the Port property has not been determined.

According to Blanchard, the recycled rock will be used for habitat repair and restoration along Miller Creek.

Blanchard told lawmakers that the agreement with the Port would be effective through April 30, 2013 with two extensions stretching the contract out to April 30, 2015.

“That gives adequate time to complete the Seahurst Park project,” Blanchard noted.

Needed funding from the U.S. Corps of Engineers could be delayed because of federal budget woes.

Martin also reported that a 462-stall park and fly lot is being built on four acres along the north side of South 140th Street, west of Des Moines Memorial Drive. Martin said a clear and grade permit was issued January 21 for tree removal.
The area is within Burien’s Northeast Redevelopment Area.

“Councilman Gordon Shaw noted, “Any development is good in that area. We are in a holding pattern but we should encourage redevelopment in that area.”
Concurring, Councilman Jack Block noted, “In the current economy, we can’t be picky.”

Council members also recognized New Start High School students and teacher Beverly Mowrer who were selected by King County for an “Earth Heroes at School” award.

The students worked on a habitat restoration project at Salmon Creek Park and Salmon Creek Ravine as part of New Start’s hands-on science curriculum.

New Start, a Highline School District alternative school for at-risk youth, is housed at the Salmon Creek school site in north Burien.

The Times/News featured the students in a front-page April 29 print edition article and online at www.highlinetimes.com.