Burien planning commission studies overhaul of subdivision rules, weighing faster approvals against public notice and review safeguards

Burien — The Burien Planning Commission on March 25 held a study session to review proposed changes to the city’s subdivision code (Title 17), including raising the short-plat threshold, changing public-notice procedures and reassigning review authority in an effort to speed permitting and align local rules with state law.

Senior planner Chaney Scottson told the commission staff’s preferred approach would increase the short-plat threshold (the lot-count that qualifies a division for the shorter review path) from the city’s current four lots to nine, a level the state allows. "We are still getting projects that are 9 lots," Scottson said, and raising the threshold would capture new housing types and reduce time and cost for applicants.

The presentation laid out three procedural options for short plats: retain the existing process; align short-plat rules with the city’s Type 1 procedures (which would include mailed notices to 500 feet, a 21-day comment period and publication in the Seattle Times); or adopt a procedure closer to the unit-lot model with shorter notice and the state-minimum comment period (as little as 14 days). Staff emphasized trade-offs between timeliness and public access.

"The public hearing is really an opportunity for the public to make concerns known," Liz, the city’s director, told the commission during a discussion on public hearings’ role. She and staff said hearings give residents a forum to raise substantive concerns and allow a neutral hearing examiner to weigh technical disputes, but hearings are time-consuming and increase the city’s costs.

Public comment and commissioners’ questions focused on how notice and hearing triggers would work under an administrative model. Public commenter Mister Shaffer urged the commission to keep a 500-foot notice radius rather than the 250-foot radius proposed under one option, saying longer notice helps neighbors learn about construction impacts. "So that's like if you own a property 2 blocks from a short subdivision, do you have the right to notice or not?" he said.

Staff also reviewed open-space rules and the fee-in-lieu alternative. Scottson said existing code ties dedication percentages to zone but that the city could harmonize percentages across new zones or keep a fee-in-lieu option that pays into the parks department’s citywide program. "The money does go to the parks department, and they have a parks plan," Scottson said.

Commissioners pressed staff on several points: whether shifting more administrative review to staff would reduce quality of review, how often projects change between preliminary and final approval, and what numeric thresholds should automatically trigger public hearings (numbers discussed ranged from about 15 to 30 lots). Staff said many Burien projects will be infill and recommended preserving mailed notice and an explicit ability for the public to request hearings even under an administrative model.

On authority, staff recommended assigning recommending authority to directors in an administrative process (with council retaining final approval), saying the hearing examiner model provides useful neutral review but adds time. Scottson said state law requires council make preliminary approvals but leaves flexibility for who prepares recommendations.

The commission did not take action; this was a study session. Scottson said staff will prepare draft code that incorporates the options discussed and will return for further review, including clearer proposals for notice radii, comment periods and hearing triggers.

The meeting also included administrative items: the agenda and Feb. 25 minutes were approved without objection; Director Liz announced two incoming commissioners, Alex Hyman and Michael Lefkowitz, and said staff is exploring creation of a Transportation Commission. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.