Tom and Averill Reno have lived happily in Burien since 1956 and, like many retirees who have settled down, they do not think highly of change.

"What I want is for somebody to start a 'save Burien' campaign and forget this whole thing - we don't need any of it," said Tom during Burien's first "community conversation" on North Highline annexation May 31.

His wife, Averill, said she is worried about the crime in White Center as well.

"I like Burien. White Center is 'on the other side of the tracks,'" she said.

Besides, Tom said, Burien would be left out if the city annexed the North Highline unincorporated area.

"I'd like to stay just the way we are," he said.

Others attending the community meeting, the first of three sponsored by the city of Burien to listen to the concerns of local residents, worried about the higher cost of providing services if Burien annexes North Highline.

Karen McMichael, a volunteer for a homeless women's shelter in Burien, said she is concerned about the availability of social service organizations in Burien and the cost that would be incurred if the city absorbed the unincorporated area.

"It's going to cost money and I don't think that's something Burien has discussed," she said.

Special utility districts, which provide water and sewer service, could charge more for Burien residents if the city annexes the area, said Jerry Seidl, a 44-year North Highline resident.

He added that he prefers Seattle because of its size and budget, although he is unsure whether the area would benefit at all from Burien.

Mark Ufkes, a 10-year White Center resident who is president of that community's homeowners' association and served four years on the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, said a large percentage of North Highline is low income, and Burien doesn't have the resources needed to take care of the area.

White Center and Boulevard Park have the potential to become vibrant communities, Ufkes continued.

"Burien is a great small-town community. But there is a legitimate concern of whether the city would support commercial development at the level White Center and Boulevard Park deserve," he said, adding that he doesn't think Burien has the political will to do so.

Referring to the value of homes in each annexation scenario, Ufkes asked, "Which address would a homeowner prefer? For me, a Seattle address is a smarter decision."

However, 69-year Boulevard Park resident Barbara Peters, who is a current member of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, argues against the "bigger is better" theory.

"My concern is that by going to a larger city, Boulevard Park is going to get lost.

"My husband and I are retiring and we will not be able to afford to live in the Seattle area," Peters said. "I think there are enough services in Burien and we all need to get out and help ourselves. You can't keep relying on help from everybody else."

Peters noted that North Highline has another option that has not been discussed.

"If Seattle does annex North Highline, we have the option to sell our home and move, and a lot of my family and friends will do the same," she declared.

Ron Johnson, a White Center resident, agreed with Peters. He said Seattle, especially in south Delridge, has a lot of housing density.

"Delridge is on a regional arterial network. There's a two-lane road that's overburdened already," he added. Burien would not have that density problem.

"I grew up in a small town in the Midwest and that's what it would feel like living in Burien, not like being a part of an urban city like Seattle," Johnson said.

"I feel like we would have a closer relationship with Burien. You could call the council members and get a response, whereas in Seattle you couldn't. I'm concerned about having a voice," said Johnson.