The Burien Planning Commission voted 6-1 Nov. 29 to recommend the Burien City Council not designate North Highline as a "potential annexation area."

"I do not believe Burien is ready," said Planning Commissioner Barbara Williams.

The Planning Commission is an advisory panel to the Burien City Council. The City Council can ignore or accept the advice of the Planning Commission.

Burien already has enough other projects on its plate, Williams said. Besides, there's a "huge disconnect" between what Burien and North Highline are focusing on, she added.

Commissioner Rebecca McInteer had misgivings about securing new revenue sources mentioned by Scott Greenberg, director of the Burien Department of Community Development.

He suggested money could be obtained from sewer and water franchise fees, streamlined sales tax, government grants and King County annexation incentive funds.

But McInteer didn't want to rely on those wishes.

Planning Commission Chairman Robert Simpson-Clark was tough on Greenberg about his department's analysis of the cost of annexation.

Simpson-Clark said he found "significant counting errors" in the analysis.

For example, the department determined that Burien will have to come up with $200 to $415 per household every year to maintain current police and fire services if North Highline is annexed by Seattle.

That's because Burien currently benefits from sharing police and fire with North Highline.

But if Seattle takes over, police and fire will be provided by Seattle.

Simpson-Clark did his own calculations and determined the cost of maintaining police and fire would cost Burien residents between $120 and $167 more per year.

In an interview a few days after the meeting, Greenberg acknowledged that Simpson-Clark had a valid criticism. Greenberg mistakenly figured a one-time, $1 million investment as an annual investment.

Greenberg's amended figures indicate Burien would need $134 to $317 per household per year to maintain current levels of police and fire protection if Seattle took over North Highline.

Greenberg said he corrected the figures for the Burien City Council.

Simpson-Clark thinks North Highline could incorporate and form its own city.

"It's like an 18-year-old leaving home," he said. "Your lifestyle drops at first, but you get over it."

Annexing North Highline is "the wrong thing for Burien to do," he said.

Commissioner Janet Shull shared concern about the possible effects of annexation on Burien's existing police and fire services, but said that's not a sufficient reason to declare a potential annexation area.

"We would dilute the energy we have in Burien," Shull said.

Consultant Cathy Allen from the Connections Group told the Planning Commission about a door-to-door survey of approximately 1,600 Burien residents.

Among the general conclusions drawn were many older, white residents oppose annexation of North Highline while respondents who were non-white and under age 35 favored annexation to Burien.

Mark Ufkes, a former member of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, warned the Planning Commission that some members of the North Highline Council are biased toward annexation by Burien. The real question is, who's going to help redevelop White Center, Ufkes noted.

He urged the commission not to recommend designating North Highline as a potential annexation area.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at 206-932-0300 or tstclair@robinsonnews.com.