City of Burien

Community is invited to attend Planning Commission meeting for updates on Ambaum and Boulevard Park Community Plans.

Across Puget Sound, cities and counties are coming together this September to celebrate Puget Sound Starts Here Month.

For the safety and health of our community and economy, the City of Burien is taking COVID-19 precautions very seriously during upcoming community events.

To demonstrate the City of Burien’s commitment to being a welcoming city for immigrants and refugees, the City in partnership with Discover Burien is launching the inaugural “Welcoming Burien: Celebrating Culture and Community” event on Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. This event will take place in Burien's Town Square Park and will coincide with Welcoming America’s Welcoming Week.

Beginning Tuesday, September 7 through Friday, October 15th road improvements and asphalt paving will impact local traffic in Gregory Heights, Lake Burien, Seahurst, and Shorewood neighborhoods.

The City of Burien has issued a call for artists for the 2022 Burien Gallery Program. The application deadline is Thursday, November 4, 2021.

Starting October 1, 2021, the Burien plastic bag ban will go back into effect. The effective date is in alignment with Washington’s statewide plastic bag ban.

The City of Burien is opening the Burien Community Center to operate as a cooling center from August 12–14.

Burien community members are invited to interact with an online map designed to help gather feedback on Ambaum Blvd SW and Boulevard Park community planning.

Community members are invited to take a survey to help prioritize strategies to reduce climate pollution and help protect our community from the worst impacts of climate change. The Burien Climate Action Plan survey is open from July 26 through August 25.

Construction has begun on Kinect@Burien, a new multifamily housing development which will bring 230 apartments and ground floor retail space to downtown Burien. The development will be sited on a former parking lot owned by the City of Burien as well as the site of a former commercial building.

The City of Burien is opening government buildings and services starting July 13, 2021.

City of Burien is opening Burien City Hall on June 29, 2021 to operate as a cooling center.

The City of Burien is opening the Burien Community Center and Burien City Hall to operate as cooling centers.

Construction on the Burien segment of the RapidRide H Line begins on June 28, 2021. Intermittent traffic delays may occur.

A record-breaking heat event is expected across our area this weekend. Read important public safety tips for staying cool.

Burien City Council voted to include DESC Burien, a permanent supportive housing development, into the Burien Affordable Housing Demonstration Program.

City of Burien is announcing a dedicated rent and utility assistance fund for Burien residents. Burien City Council adopted additional tenant protections and extended an eviction moratorium for 90 calendar days after the end of the statewide moratorium.

Burien joins communities across the country on June 19 in commemorating the day enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally told of their freedom in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring enslaved people in Confederate territory free.

Burien City Council will be hosting a public hearing a proposal from DESC to build a permanent supportive housing project in Burien. The public hearing will begin with a short presentation from City of Burien staff, and then be open for public comment.

The City of Burien and Burien Police Department are seeking people to serve as Community Representatives on an Independent Investigation Team for Burien.

The City of Burien is seeking community members to apply to serve on the Burien Airport Committee or SEA Stakeholder Advisory Roundtable (StART) to help advocate for Burien’s needs as they relate to impacts of SeaTac Airport operations.

A community petition to name the Burien Skate Park to Tim Hunter Memorial Skate Park is being considered by the Burien Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. The advisory board’s recommendation will be forwarded to Burien City Council for discussion and final decision.

The Burien City Council voted to delay the effective date of Ordinance 709 to July 1, 2022. This law restricts food service businesses in Burien from providing food and beverages in non-compostable food service products.

Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to City of Burien for its comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a diverse range of qualified candidates for consideration to be appointed to EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

The Burien City Council issued a proclamation on April 19, 2021 in support of National Infertility Awareness Week.

Eagle Landing Park is now re-opened to the public. The park was previously closed on September 29, 2020 to install a pipe to divert stormwater, plant new vegetation, and conduct needed repairs to the trail and surrounding area.

The Burien City Council issued two proclamations on April 19, 2021 to raise awareness and support actions to protect the environment.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the George Floyd family and all who have been victimized by abhorrent police behavior. The jury’s verdict today is a statement about what is unacceptable and underscores the need for broader systemic change.

The Burien City Council issued a proclamation on April 5, 2021 declaring anti-Asian hate was not welcome in Burien.

Burien City Council issued a proclamation on April 5, 2021 declaring April “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” in Burien.

City of Burien leadership and staff are deeply saddened by the horrific murders of eight people in Atlanta on Tuesday, including at least six Asian American women. We join those who are honoring those lost by recommitting ourselves as city leaders to creating an inclusive and welcoming community that celebrates our diversity and denounces racism, intolerance, and bigotry in all forms.

Nominations open for 2021 Citizen of the Year.

In partnership with the Highline College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the City of Burien is hosting a workshop geared towards the businesses that are currently leasing a commercial location, thinking about signing a commercial lease, or renewing a commercial lease.

Burien City Council is asking the community to answer a brief survey to help them prioritize what they should focus on for the next 12–18 months. Responses are anonymous. The survey closes on March 18 at noon.

Burien’s Severe Weather Shelter will be open February 9–13.

The City of Burien and Burien Arts Commission is seeking a Black artist or artist group who will work with the Burien community to create a visual art piece that honors the Black Lives Matter movement.

The City of Burien and Discover Burien are hosting their 14th annual Empty Bowls event to raise money for the White Center Food Bank and Highline Area Food Bank.

Burien City Council issued a proclamation on January 4, 2021 declaring January Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Burien.

Want to serve your community and help shape local laws and policy? Do you have expertise to share? Consider applying for one of the 25 open positions.

The City of Burien and Discover Burien are announcing the launch of two new resources to support local restaurants and retail businesses.

The Peter Western Bridge will open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic on December 21, 2020 at noon.

The City of Burien is proud to announce a series of holiday inspired events to celebrate the season in the second annual “It’s a Wonderful Burien.” Winter lights will illuminate Burien’s Town Square Park every night in December, encouraging people to visit downtown Burien for restaurant take-out, shopping, and seasonal experiences hosted by the City of Burien and community partners.

The City of Burien will host an online community forum to discuss the draft results of the city’s first Housing Action Plan. Please join us to learn more about the city’s housing needs, and proposed strategies and actions to build more housing for all of Burien’s residents.

Carolyn Hope has been hired as the City of Burien’s new Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Director, effective Feb. 3, 2020.

On January 6, 2020, the community is invited to a reception and swearing-in ceremony for newly elected council members Sofia Aragon, Cydney Moore, and Kevin Schilling. The reception will be followed by the selection of mayor and deputy mayor.

The City has explored an option to extend the time period for tenants to operate out of the Annex building past the January 31, 2020 deadline. After a consultation regarding the insurance and liability issues surrounding the significant safety risks that are present, enabling tenants to stay in the building past January 31, 2020 is not an option the City can entertain.

NEWS RELEASE: The City of Burien is closing the Burien Community Center Annex because initial inspections have found significant concerns with the structural integrity of the building.

On December 16, 2019, the community is invited to a reception honoring the service and dedication of Burien Deputy Mayor Austin Bell and Councilmembers Bob Edgar and Lucy Krakowiak.

On November 27, 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in favor of the City of Burien in Burien’s lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arising from the FAA’s change of a flight path over Burien without environmental review.

The City of Burien is changing the permit center hours to 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. starting January 2, 2020.

NEWS RELEASE: Based on rising construction costs and decreasing revenues in the hotel sector, Hotel Concepts has decided not to move forward with developing a hotel in Burien at this time.

NEWS RELEASE: The City of Burien is proud to announce a new series of events titled “It’s a Wonderful Burien.” Winter lights will illuminate Burien’s Town Square Park every night in December, inspiring people to come to downtown Burien for unique dining, shopping, and seasonal experiences hosted by the City of Burien and community partners.

The Department of Commerce will be hosting a public meeting to provide a preliminary report on study of impacts of SeaTac Airport.

City staff are monitoring work being done at property located on 1300 SW 136th St., owned by Westmark Emerald Pointe LLC.

NEWS RELEASE: On October 7, 2019, the Burien City Council passed policies designed to protect renters and improve renter-landlord relationships. Ordinance 716 goes into effect October 15, 2019.

The Town Square Fountain will be closed for maintenance September 30 and October 1.

NEWS RELEASE: The Burien City Council approved on Burien’s first rental housing inspection program. The Council also approved the hiring of a rental housing inspection coordinator, who will manage the program and work with residents who need assistance with rental housing issues.

The City’s temporary sign regulations have been updated. The City’s permanent sign rules were not changed. A 90-day grace period was given to businesses to comply with the new regulations. Code enforcement on the new rules is allowed to begin on September 9, 2019.

Susan McLain Selected to be New Community Development Director; Lorraine Chachere Selected to be New Economic Development Specialist

Burien’s Town Square Fountain has reopened to the public after repairs to the electrical system were completed. The fountain will remain open until October.

NEWS RELEASE: The Burien City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on January 7, 2019 to ban carryout plastic bags in restaurants and retail establishments. The ordinance and ban will take effect on January 1, 2020, giving Burien businesses time to use their current stock of plastic bags.

To assess the effectiveness of beach restoration projects in restoring former forage fish spawning habitat, Coastal Geology will be using a drone to conduct monitoring work at Seahurst Park August 28–30.

Hamilton Construction Company has been awarded through a competitive bid process the contract to construct the new Peter Western Bridge. Construction will begin end of August and be completed by the end of 2020

The City of Burien is updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan, a plan to reduce harm from potential hazards such as landslides and earthquakes. The community is invited to provide feedback about what hazards you see in Burien.

The Burien City Council is discussing a potential law that would require all food service products in the City of Burien to be made of compostable materials due to concerns about the effects of plastics on the natural environment. The Burien Business and Economic Development Partnership (BEDP) invites Burien businesses to a roundtable discussion on the draft legislation.

The Department of Commerce’s Sea-Tac Airport Impact Study project team is an open house on July 24 to gain public input on plans to study and inventory environmental, social, and economic impacts of the Sea-Tac Airport on the surrounding communities.

As repair work for the Town Square Fountain progresses, unforeseen issues have occurred. At this time, we cannot commit to an open date. To help Burien’s youngest residents have fun and cool off during this summer’s hottest days, sprinklers will be turned on at Lake Burien Memorial Park Mondays and Fridays, 2–4 p.m. when temperature rises above 75 degrees.

S 144th Way is being re-aligned between Des Moines Memorial Drive and the cold storage warehouses. Construction begins July 15 and will continue until the end of the year.

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck at Three Lakes, Washington and shook much of our region. As of now, no significant impacts or damages have been reported within King County.

The possession and discharging of all fireworks is banned in the City of Burien. To report a fireworks violation, please call 911.

On Thursday, June 27, the City of Burien invites you to join a discussion about a shared community vision for Burien’s Urban Center at an open house at Angelo’s of Burien.

The City of Burien is updating the Storm Drainage Master Plan, which was last published in 2012. The plan will guide where the City focuses its efforts to reduce urban flooding and protect water quality in Miller Creek, Salmon Creek, and Puget Sound.

An algal toxin was found in a water quality sample collected from Lake Burien on May 31. Public Health recommends that people and pets do not swim in the lake, drink lake water, or engage in other water-contact activities.

NEWS RELEASE: Chris Craig has been selected to lead economic development for the City of Burien.

The City of Burien is hosting a follow up community meeting on June 20 on proposed rental housing policies and a rental inspection program. City of Burien staff will present a summary of the proposed policies and ask for community feedback. The proposed policies will reflect revisions based on feedback received during previous community meetings.

Response from City Manager Wilson to residents expressing concerns about how the City is serving those living unsheltered in our community, and about tents and camping in Burien parks and the effect this has on the health and safety of our parks.

The Town Square Fountain will have a delayed opening due to sustained substantial water damage in the control vault and the fountain’s electrical system. Parks Department staff are working quickly to secure repair services and seek replacement of electrical components.

On May 6, 2019, the City of Burien announced a new approach to addressing unauthorized use of Burien parks and facilities. In an effort to make everyone feel welcome and safe in Burien parks, City staff and Burien Police will be taking a compassionate, collaborative, and legal approach to prevent camping and encampments, that complies with the Martin v Boise decision.

Burien is holding a #TreeSelfie photo contest, where one lucky individual will win $25 if they correctly identify a tree in their neighborhood and let us know!

With Earth Day just around the corner, there are many opportunities to help protect Burien’s environment.

NEWS RELEASE: Charles “Chip” Davis, Burien Community Development Director, has announced his retirement after 40+ years of public service. His last day will be May 31, 2019.

The City of Burien is accepting applications for three open positions on the Planning Commission.

Apply for Position on Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table

What will Burien's downtown and urban center be like 5, 10, or 20 years from now? Tell us what you think by taking a survey.

Come to an open house to learn about updates to the City’s code for temporary signs such as A-boards, banners, campaign signs, etc.

Come to a workshop to help establish a vision for Burien’s mixed use, regional urban center with housing, employment, transportation options, and services.

The community is invited to share their vision of how safe, quality, habitable, and affordable housing looks like in Burien, and how potential tenant protections could affect both renters and landlords in Burien.

NEWS RELEASE: King County District Court and the City of Burien are collaborating to implement a “community court” in Burien. Scheduled to launch February 25, 2019, the alternative, problem-solving court will differ from traditional courts by seeking to identify and address the underlying challenges of court participants that may contribute to further criminal activity.

Starting this January, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be removing creosote-treated logs that have washed up on the beach at Seahurst Park.

Apply for one of the 20 open citizen advisory board positions.

The City of Burien is evaluating the City website and we want to hear from you!

NEWS RELEASE: On December 3, 2018 the Burien City Council selected Hotel Concepts as the buyer and developer of a City-owned parcel. The winning proposal includes a 140-guest room hotel and approximately 100 units of multifamily development.

Due to scheduled facility maintenance and the holidays, the Burien Community Center will be closed December 17–21.

Council discussed hotel developer, business licensing and B&O tax code updates, budget, zoning code amendments, and Comprehensive Plan amendments.

Learn more about housing policies that support Burien as a safe, healthy, and affordable community of opportunity for people of all income levels.

Do you know someone who has improved the quality of life in Burien? Do you know of a program or organization that has helped others in the community? Nominate them for the Burien City Council’s Citizen of the Year!