Burien planners discuss allowing small “neighborhood commercial” uses in residential zones

Burien planning staff presented proposed housing code and zoning‑map amendments on April 9 that would allow limited neighborhood commercial uses — such as coffee shops, corner stores, small offices and day services — inside some residential zones, and asked the Planning Commission for input before a public hearing scheduled for April 30.

Janice Gatson, senior planner, told the commission the amendments would continue to allow accessory uses such as home occupations and bed‑and‑breakfasts, expand where family day care definitions apply and add provisions to allow “artist studio dwellings” and “live‑work units” in multifamily apartment developments. “Neighborhood commercial is not intended to have any drive throughs,” Gatson said, adding that the intent is small, customer‑serving uses that primarily serve nearby residents rather than draw regional traffic.

The proposal would: allow conversions of existing residential structures to neighborhood commercial in higher‑density residential zones (R‑3 through R‑5), permit new standalone small commercial buildings in R‑3 and R‑4 under special criteria, and limit where new standalone commercial construction would be allowed (for example, within 1,000 feet of existing commercial uses, within a quarter‑mile of transit, or on corner lots). Gatson also proposed size and operating limits, including a working draft maximum of 1,500 square feet of interior usable area and up to 1,000 square feet of exterior customer area for neighborhood commercial uses.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said the changes aim to increase everyday walkable services, reduce car trips and support small business entrepreneurship, but several said infrastructure and impacts must be addressed first.

Commissioners raised multiple implementation concerns. Commissioner Heidi Turner and others emphasized that large parts of the city lack sidewalks and curbs, and that open storm drains and missing right‑of‑way improvements make walking unsafe in many R‑1 and R‑2 neighborhoods. Turner pressed staff on how sidewalks, ADA access and curbside infrastructure could be provided, and whether a change of use could trigger sidewalk installation; staff said sidewalk requirements are commonly tied to redevelopment and that public‑works investments and right‑of‑way projects are a separate implementation matter.

Commissioner Sam Ostrander supported allowing cafes and corner stores more broadly, saying walkable neighborhood services are a long‑standing community desire. Other commissioners urged a phased approach: start with more permissive rules in R‑3 (denser residential zones), allow certain limited conversions or accessory neighborhood commercial in R‑2, and apply more restrictive criteria in R‑1 unless a site is on a corner or near transit. Several commissioners recommended limiting uses by category (for example: convenience retail, eating/drinking establishments and offices) rather than allowing all commercial uses everywhere.

Specific mitigation ideas brought up during the discussion included limiting hours of operation, capping outdoor seating area, restricting delivery‑vehicle size and timing, requiring on‑site bicycle parking, setting signage standards, and requiring design standards such as street‑facing entries to encourage pedestrian access and appropriate streetscape design. Commissioners and staff also discussed prohibiting drive‑throughs and excluding high‑impact uses (nightclubs, cannabis retailers, large‑format retail) from the neighborhood commercial list.

Gatson said state changes to family‑day‑care certification prompted a technical change to local code so a provider authorized for more children by the state would not be barred by a lower local numeric cap.

The commission gave informal direction to staff on a number of points, and commissioners recorded general consensus around the proposed interior/exterior size limits during a thumbs‑poll (staff reported unanimous support for the 1,500 sq ft interior / 1,000 sq ft exterior maximum as a working figure). Gatson said she will refine the draft code and return with a full packet for the April 30 public hearing and subsequent Planning Commission public hearing packet.

Ending: Staff will post the draft code and packet ahead of the April 30 special meeting (open house/public hearing) and will present a formal ordinance for the commission’s public hearing; no final code changes were adopted at the April 9 meeting.