The city manager of Burien recommends that city annex 2.7 square miles of the North Highline unincorporated area, a move that would add 14,350 people to the city's current 32,000 population.

The proposal by City Manager Mike Martin includes the Boulevard Park area, which has also been targeted by the city of Sea-Tac.

Martin said that if SeaTac decides it wants to annex the area, he would immediately modify the recommendation.

By adding Boulevard Park, Martin's recommendation is larger than the three partial options he offered earlier. His recommendation did not include the other options.

In Martin's proposal, Burien's southern border would be along South 128th Street to Military Road South.

Generally, the northern border would be at Southwest 112th Street in the Shorewood area, dipping south to South 116th Street to exclude Evergreen High School and the Top Hat business district, going back north to Southwest 112th Street in Beverly Park and extending to Southwest 107th Street in Boulevard Park. The Boulevard Park annexation would take in the Rainier Golf and Country Club on Des Moines Memorial Drive.

The city of Seattle has refused to mediate with Burien so he did not consult Seattle officials in drawing up his proposal, Martin said.

During its last session, the state Legislature refused to grant a state sales tax credit to Seattle to offset costs for serving the annexed area. Burien officials testified against the proposed Seattle credit.

Martin noted the preferred option "makes good policy sense.

"It works for the special districts."

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council has been generally supportive, Martin said.

According to Martin's memo to council members, "For all annexation options, operating costs and revenues would either balance or come close to balancing."

A state sales tax credit granted to Burien would help balance the costs.

Burien's public works department estimates capital costs within the annexation options would cost almost $66 million. That would include improvements to arterials and surface water management.

In his memo, Martin told lawmakers the annexation options would recognize logical physical boundaries and service delivery needs.

The options were formed after working with city department directors and the King County Sheriff's Office with which Burien contracts for police services.

Eric Mathison may be contacted at ericm@robinsonnews.com