Burien tracks two state bills and expands outreach on North of Mira project, director says

During the director’s report at the Feb. 26 Planning Commission meeting, city staff said they are monitoring two state bills that may affect local planning and permitting. The director said House Bill 1175, which staff described as related to neighborhood cafes and middle‑housing alignment, largely mirrors work Burien has already done on middle housing and may require only small code “touch-ups.”

Staff also flagged House Bill 2418, which would narrow how long jurisdictions take to determine application completeness and start the statutory shot clock for reviews. The director noted a concerning provision: if the city misses the review deadline for a residential project, the bill would require returning 20% of the fee to the applicant — a measure staff said could pose challenges for small, understaffed local governments.

The director reported that staff will cancel the next meeting and return March 25 for a fuller discussion of short plats and subdivisions. Staff also described ongoing outreach for the North of Mira project, reporting multiple resident and community-group meetings and a planned survey; commissioners asked staff to more clearly explain what the new employment-oriented zoning would allow and to emphasize what it would not (responding to community concerns about warehouses and heavy industrial uses).

A commissioner asked whether Burien is tracking Tukwila’s recent six-month moratorium on leasing office space for detention centers. The director said the city manager and mayor are discussing the matter and staff are watching other cities’ responses.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the meeting; staff will return with draft code language, additional data and outreach results.