Port of Seattle Commissioners voted 3-2 on Aug. 9 to honor their long-standing commitment to Burien and proceed with demolition of the Lora Lake Apartments to clear the land for economic development.

The King County Housing Authority had pressured Port commissioners since March to keep the complex open for use as low-income housing, and last month offered to buy it for $18 million.

Commission Chairman John Creighton said before the vote that to change course now "would pull the rug out from under the city of Burien and their careful planning" for economic development that will create local jobs and revenue for services.

Joining Creighton in voting to proceed with demolition were commissioners Pat Davis and Lloyd Hara.

Commissioners Bob Edwards and Alec Fisken voted to leave the apartment complex standing.

Fisken consistently has opposed demolition. But only in late July did Edwards, who is in a primary race for re-election, change is mind and vote to keep Lora Lake open.

Despite the commission's action, however, plans for demolition are now on hold.

A preliminary injunction issued in King County Superior Court the next day bars the Port from razing the 162-unit complex until the merits of the housing authority's claim to Lora Lake are heard at trial, which was set for March 24.

The Port owns the Lora Lake property, which is located within Burien's Northeast Redevelopment Area-146 acres directly impacted by flight operations at Sea-Tac International Airport. The city has rezoned that area for commercial development.

In 2000, the Port, Burien and the housing authority signed a cooperative agreement under which the housing authority would manage Lora Lake as affordable housing until 2005, when the third runway was expected to become operational.

When runway construction was delayed, the contract was extended until June 2007.

But, the airport's Diane Summerhays noted at last week's commission meeting, in March the housing authority abruptly pulled back from their agreement to close Lora Lake this summer.

The housing authority first requested that demolition of the housing complex be delayed, and then it began lobbying public officials beyond the Port and Burien to keep the apartments open.

Burien City Councilman Gordon Shaw told commission members that when Burien and the Port began negotiating with the housing authority for the temporary use of Lora Lake, Davis "warned us to be leery. [She said] the housing authority would want to make the agreement permanent....

"Having failed to deter us, they now sue us," Shaw noted. "Temporary does not mean temporary to the housing authority. It means permanent."

He added that "King County feels quite comfortable in telling [Burien] how we should manage this land and trampling on our municipal sovereignty."

Burien Planning Commission member Jim Clingan charged that "at this late date" the attempt by King County and the housing authority to renege on the seven-year agreement "is nothing short of an ambush."

Those who want Lora Lake to remain open say "the Port and Burien need to compromise," Clingan continued. "But the Port and the city have compromised for the past seven years. The agreement ended in June and so did seven years of compromise."

Suggesting the move by King County and the housing authority is "political grandstanding," he said "it's time for the Port and Burien to control their destinies."

"Burien is a leader in providing low-income housing," City Manager Mike Martin emphasized. "The city does more than its share to solve this problem."

Deputy Mayor Rose Clark reminded commissioners that "Burien is a small city. We can't afford to have our land lie idle."

But King County Executive Ron Sims' chief of staff Kurt Triplett countered that Sims "strongly believes in economic development ... in Burien" and wants county investment in the city's Northeast Redevelopment Area.

Triplett urged the commission "to compromise ... to find common ground."

Seattle City Councilman Tom Rasmussen said "destruction of [affordable] housing at Lora Lake would be a setback to all of us. I request that you do not demolish Lora Lake....

"Our economic boom ... can be crippled by a lack of affordable housing," Rasmussen added. "Times have changed. Needs have changed ... this is an emergency and we need all hands on deck."

Joining those speaking in opposition to the demolition of Lora Lake were a number of homeless advocates and homeless individuals.

Karen McMichael, representing Hospitality House, a shelter in Burien for women who are victims of abuse, called the closure of Lora Lake "shortsighted."

Burien resident Cherisse Luxa urged commissioners to delay demolition to allow time to find a compromise.

Edwards argued that affordable housing is a crisis and King County "put money on the table which will [help] solve the problem.

"It would be a great solution to accept the county's offer for the entire Lora Lake triangle ... and save some of the apartments."

But, Hara said, public interest requires "us to move forward and retain our contractual agreement with the city of Burien."

The commission's action also directed Port staff to continue working with King County and Burien to find alternative locations for affordable housing developments.