On August 18, 2009, a majority of voting residents, located in the southern portion of North Highline, chose to annex to the City of Burien.  The annexation is effective on April 1, 2010.  Please join us in welcoming over 14,000 new residents and hundreds of businesses into our City.

City staff during the next several months will be working on transitional issues, such as planning and zoning in the annexation area and determining the size of staff needed to serve North Highline.  The contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office taking in the new City area will need to be renegotiated. Other special districts serving North Highline including sewer, water, fire and schools will not be affected by the annexation.

As part of the annexation process, the State of Washington requires that the City conduct a census of all housing units in the annexation area. The information gathered from this census is very important because State and Federal funding is based on an accurate count and will ensure that Burien receives its full share of funds necessary for providing essential city services. [Read on...]

Please note that this is a City census and is in addition to the federal census, which is conducted every ten years by the U.S. Census Bureau, including 2010.    

The City of Burien will apply the existing Burien zoning districts that are most comparable with King County’s existing zoning in the annexation area. This means that when the area becomes part of Burien the minimum lot sizes, setbacks, and permitted uses are likely to be similar, if not identical to the current zoning. Over time, the City will work with residents and business owners to prepare plans for the annexed neighborhoods. Any proposed changes to zoning will be considered through an open public process. All decisions about comprehensive planning and zoning in the annexed neighborhoods will be made by the Burien City Council based on a recommendation by the Burien Planning Commission.


Information on the conversion, and zoning maps showing the adopted City zoning are available online or by contacting Chip Davis, planner, at (206) 248-5501 or by Email. Please note: The City Council voted to prohibit, not allow, adult entertainment establishments between SW 112th Street and SW 116th Street along either side of 16th Ave. SW as was previously reported by some local news outlets. 
 

For businesses new to Burien, your local opportunities and responsibilities will change on April 1. We encourage you to reach out and take advantage of some of our local resources. For example, Burien sponsors a Taking Aim at Graffiti (TAG) program, which provides graffiti removal to commercial properties – free of charge.

In addition to new opportunities, there are also new responsibilities. A Burien Business License is required to do business within our City limits. The City of Burien collects a .05% business and occupation tax on gross receipts earned within the City. The amount of state and local sales and use taxes you will be collecting and remitting through the Department of Revenue will not change, but the local reporting code will change so that Burien receives its share of the taxes.

Read on for more information for businesses...

 

Information to download:

• Map of Annexation Area
• Click here  for a pdf version of the Frequently Asked Questions.
• Crime data in proposed area
• Information in Spanish 

• Information in Vietnamese   

If you have further questions, please email us or call the Burien Annexation Info Line at (206) 436-5555 and a staff member will respond within 2 business days to address any questions you may have.