Burien city officials expressed disappointment last week at the "non-decision" by the state's Growth Management Hearings Board that leaves the North Highline unincorporated area and its 32,000 residents in limbo.

"It basically keeps residents hanging out there with no clear answer as to how the annexation question will be resolved," said Burien Mayor Joan McGilton.

The Hearings Board ruled July 9 that both Burien and Seattle could keep their conflicting potential annexation area designations for North Highline.

That puts the question in the lap of another agency, King County's Growth Management Planning Council, for resolution. The Planning Council now will make a recommendation on the competing potential annexation areas to the full King County Council.

That cumbersome process makes it unlikely a decision - if there is one - will be rendered until 2008, said Scott Greenberg, Burien Community Development Director.

The Burien City Council in November 2006 declared its wish to have the entire North Highline unincorporated area as its "potential annexation area."

Shortly after, the Seattle City Council did the same, setting up the conflict both parties hoped the Growth Management Hearings Board would resolve.

Declaring a "potential annexation area" means only that a city is considering annexation, not that an annexation is imminent.

The council has not considered the question of whether to advance an annexation because of the uncertainty around the Hearings Board decision.

Burien and Seattle negotiated for almost a year to find a solution, but those talks were unsuccessful.

To move forward at this point, one of the two parties would have to withdraw their potential annexation area, or both parties could negotiate a compromise.

By doing nothing, both parties continue to advance their claim to the unincorporated area.

"Bottom line is, nothing has changed," McGilton said. "We're staying the course.