Burien council members told Port of Seattle staffers on April 24 that the city should help decide what businesses move onto Port-owned properties in Burien’s northeast redevelopment area.

The Port has acquired several properties within Burien for expansion north of the existing Sea-Tac International Airport property, said David Johanson, senior city planner.

Redevelopment of that area from residential to airport compatible land uses has been an ongoing activity since 2002, Johanson noted.

Lawmakers eventually decided the matter was too “weighted” to complete in one evening, and continued consideration of the Northeast Development Area to May 8.

Prior to the delay, Johanson outlined a framework agreement proposed by the Port to ensure that inter-jurisdictional permitting issues are resolved.

He said this agreement is just another step to make the area attractive to get development to happen in that area.

“I don’t understand what the city is trying to do with this agreement that they are not already doing or trying to do under existing policies,” declared Councilman Gordon Shaw.

The city has a development plan that’s been approved for about a year already, Shaw noted.

“There is no evidence of any construction as near as I can tell or any intention to move towards construction. I’m wondering what we’re doing with the northeast area that’s just not working.”

He added that the city’s goal is to transition the area into some type of commercial use, not just to “sit there.”

Johanson responded that the proposed framework agreement has been established to create an agreeable process between the city and the Port, so the land in the Northeast Redevelopment Area will be more attractive to the development community.

He said the agreement would also reduce uncertainty and increase predictability of the review process.

“Both of these items are very attractive to a developer who will be investing a substantial amount of money, time and resource in a potential development project,” Johanson continued.

But councilmembers said that before they can make a motion to accept the agreement, they want to ensure the city’s interests are weighed in.

“This is land that’s in the city of Burien, it is tax dollars that we have lost, it is tax dollars that we are trying to recoup, and it is our folks that are being moved out,” said Councilwoman Rose Clark.

Clark added that she wants to make sure Burien has a seat at the table when talking about the exact businesses that may go in the area.

Diane Summerhays, director of community development for the Port, said that it is the Port’s intention to work with the city.

“Hopefully we can attract somebody that the city and the Port are both excited about,” she noted.

Mayor Joan McGilton noted the city’s relationship with the Port is “doing much better and it’s nice that everyone is working together.”

However, she said, there are disparate interests between the city and Port that need to be addressed.

Johanson noted that two of Burien’s main goals within the redevelopment are to create family wage jobs and support the city’s lost tax base with the acquisition efforts.

“I know that the Port has its own interests in this area, and I presume that they relate to freight handling, warehouse, just-in-time delivery type [businesses] that would go out of the area by airplane,” Shaw said.

He added that those types of jobs are not necessarily the uses Burien would be most interested in.

“Those are on the lower end of the pay scale from the manufacturing jobs that I think we all want.”

Summerhays said there is a variety of uses that are compatible with the airport and that light manufacturing is certainly one of those.

“So it would be our hope to see how the market responds, to work with your staff and see whom we can attract to the property,” she added.

Shaw also said he would also like to see an alternative framework than creates a mechanism to go through this process privately.

“I think this is a very innovative and exciting time for the city and the Port and I think we’ve come a long way,” Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak observed.