Burien lawmakers indicated May 9 that they will reject major changes suggested by the state Department of Ecology (DOE) to the city's Shoreline Master Plan.

The council plans a formal vote on May 23.

The DOE approved Burien's plan with some changes in April.

The points of contention between the city and the state agency include the DOE's requirement to increase the vegetation buffer from 20 feet in the city plan to 50 feet and a building setback from the buffer of no feet in the city plan to 15 feet on marine shorelines. Under Burien's plan, new developments would need to be a total 50 feet from the normal high water mark. The DOE is calling for a total distance of 65 feet.

Council members also said they would reject a suggested DOE change that would allow public watercraft access on Lake Burien. Currently, there is no public access to the lake. Watercraft owned by lake property owners is allowed. Burien's plan would forbid launching of watercraft from any future public access point.
Councilman Gordon Shaw said he was disappointed with the DOE document.

Shaw pointed out that DOE representatives had attended the discussions of the shoreline plan conducted by a city advisory committee, Burien's Planning Commission and the City Council.

"They were involved in all three levels of Burien's discussion but in the end they went into a back room and made their own decision," Shaw declared.

Councilman Jack Block said he shared Shaw's disappointment with the DOE.

"My biggest concern is the decision was too arbitrary," Block said. "Nobody is going to take better care of the shoreline than shoreline residents."

Councilwoman Rose Clark said that although she originally voted for the 20-foot buffer instead of the 20-foot buffer, she would support the council's position.

Mayor Joan McGilton said she will go along with the council's original decision.

Resident Ron Franz suggested that litigation or legislation could change the DOE's decisions on shoreline plans.

"Why doesn't the city put this on the backburner and wait for the answer to catch up with us," Franz noted.
Michael Noakes, president of the Burien Marine Homeowners Association, said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the DOE's response.

The state DOE must approve any changes for the required shoreline plan to go into effect.