Burien Planning Commission recommends code changes to ease conversions of existing buildings, strips parking-retention requirement

The Burien Planning Commission voted on May 27 to recommend that City Council adopt amendments to the Burien Municipal Code allowing conversion of existing buildings to residential use under recent state law.

Planner Natasha Kostiak told the commission the draft amendments would implement the state house bill by defining an "existing building" (a structure with a certificate of occupancy at least three years old), exempting certain design and parking requirements, and establishing a review pathway tied to BMC chapters 19.17 and 19.20. "Staff recommends that the planning commission recommend to the city council the adoption of the proposed residential conversions of existing building zoning code text amendments," Kostiak said during her presentation.

Commissioner Sam Ostrander moved to strike a sentence in the proposed parking-exemption language that would have required retention of existing off-street parking for uses that remain on a site. Ostrander said removing the sentence would free land for potential housing and reduce developer costs. "I move to strike the off street parking for existing uses sentence from... 19.17," Ostrander said.

Commissioner Alex Hyman, who seconded the amendment, framed the change as aligned with climate and land-use goals: "I don't view parking mandates favorably... any chance to remove them is kind of a good thing," Hyman said, adding the removed requirement would leave developers free to decide whether to keep parking.

Opponents cautioned that removing the retention requirement could leave existing businesses without needed parking. Kostiak replied that the state bill allows the city to require retention of parking for commercial uses that remain, but the amendments as drafted create an exemption pathway. "Any of those requirements that are necessary for the life and safety of the interior of the building will be required," Kostiak said.

On the amendment, the commission took a roll-call vote (called by name): Ostrander — Aye; Motta — Aye; Michael Levkiewicz — Aye; Josh Halpin — Nay; Alex Hyman — Aye; Jessica Ivy — Nay; another nay recorded. The chair declared the amendment passed, 4–3.

With the parking-retention sentence removed, the commission then voted to forward the amended package to City Council. Chair Jessica Ivy called the recommendation approved and staff said the item will move to council briefings the week of June 22 with a first reading scheduled July 13 and intent to adopt on July 27.

The amendments tie local rules to the state measure while preserving life-and-safety and building-code obligations: Kostiak emphasized that converted units must still meet building and fire codes and that exemptions do not absolve projects from meeting life-safety standards.

The commission's recommendation sends the package to City Council for final action; no public hearing testimony was given during the hearing portion of the meeting, and staff said written comments received in advance were included with the packet.