Burien planners begin work to turn state temporary‑encampment law into local rules

Chase Gatson, senior planner, told the Burien Planning Commission on Jan. 8 that staff will draft permanent zoning provisions to implement state law allowing temporary encampments on property owned or controlled by religious organizations and that the City Council will hold a public hearing on the interim zoning ordinance on Jan. 13.

Gatson said the city adopted an interim zoning ordinance on Dec. 9 and "we have 6 months to either adopt permanent provisions or basically get an extension for another 6 months," adding that the interim ordinance creates a permitting path while staff prepares a permanent code draft.

The presentation and ensuing commission discussion focused on how the ordinance interprets the state law (referred to in the staff packet as House Bill 1754) and on operational and safety standards that will be included in Burien Municipal Code chapters added or amended by the interim ordinance (staff cited changes to chapter 19.75 and the creation of chapter 19.90). Gatson said the draft follows many elements of the state statute and treats four temporary‑encampment types: outdoor tent encampments, temporary small homes (sometimes called tiny homes), indoor overnight shelters, and safe resident vehicle parking.

Key provisions described by staff include: a default maximum operating duration of six months in a calendar year for tent encampments and safe parking (with a required three‑month separation between encampments on the same site); a one‑year allowance under the statute for temporary small homes and indoor…