TIMES/NEWS

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost"

In The Caine Mutiny-one of best novels about World War II-Captain Queeg nervously rolls ball bearings between his fingers when under enemy fire or duress from Navy brass.

Little wonder, then, that Captain Queeg instantly came to mind in the wake of the Aug. 14 Burien City Council meeting.

Following a lengthy deliberation about proposed options for annexation of the North Highline unincorporated area by Burien, a majority of council members-apparently unsure of which road to take-put the city on a path it should not travel down.

Did these five lawmakers, I wondered, sit at the dais rolling imaginary ball bearings in a Queeg-like manner during moments of uncertainty before casting their votes?

Or were their minds already made up, despite the introduction of new information that supports full annexation by Burien?

Only council members Rose Clark and Gordon Shaw wanted to declare all of North Highline a potential annexation area, which would better position the city to obtain facts and figures needed for the big picture that will provide a much better roadmap.

Fortunately for residents of Burien and North Highline alike, the council's decision on a preferred annexation area is not binding. There is still time for the lawmakers to reconsider and reverse course.

But this does not mean retreating to the costly, short-sighted option of no annexation at all. Quite the opposite.

City leaders should become proactive, not reactive, on this controversial issue, deliberating and deciding with a long-range vision for Burien

Opponents of any annexation, almost all of whom live west of Ambaum Boulevard, which hardly represents a cross-section of the city, parade around town in their "I Love Burien" tee shirts, spreading disinformation as they go.

This band of true believers in the anti-annexation cause are quick to accuse city, police, fire and utility officials with manipulating facts and figures to support annexation.

Yet the Burien Residents Against Annexation Political Action Committee based erroneous claims about crime in North Highline on a misreading of inaccurate representation of crime statistics-until a principal spokesman of this PAC was corrected during a public debate.

Others in the community who support full annexation claim other numbers used by the anti-annexation movement don't add up.

Ironically, this PAC shares a mailing address with Citizens for Honesty in Government, which supported the election of three current council members last year.

One of the ringleaders of both groups even threatened city council members late last year with recall if they voted for annexation.

(This statement displayed a glaring lack of awareness of state law governing the recall of local elected officials.)

In a recent letter to the Times/News, the writer said Burien should stay like it is. Apparently the city should turn its back on progress, especially if progress includes growth?

SeaTac, which incorporated three years before Burien, is capitalizing on the presence of the airport.

Tukwila, whose economy is driven by Southcenter Mall, is developing centers of activity elsewhere in the community.

Now Des Moines is in the beginning stages of rejuvenating its economy by catering to visitors with the marina as the city's welcoming mat.

Where does this leave Burien? Town Square, with a concentration of housing but limited retail space, may not prove to be the driving economic engine city officials hope for.

But North Highline not only has room for new housing developments, it also has the land for new commercial centers-both retail and light industrial-just the ticket for a city that needs additional revenue if Burien is to become all that it can be.

And if Burien stays the same, then how crowded will city streets and gathering places become after Seattle, which permits higher residential densities, annexes close to South 128th Street?

In the final analysis, full annexation may not be right for Burien. But unless community leaders move forward, boldly exploring all roads to the future, the city risks being left behind.

The views of Ralph Nichols are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Robinson Newspapers. He can be reached at newsdesk@robinsonnews.com or 206-388-1857.