Seattle Times Reports on Agreement by Seattle and Burien on Annexation
Although most of the details of the proposed agreement between Seattle and Burien for the proposed annexation have been covered in this blog as well as our partner, West Seattle Blog, the Seattle Times has a good article in today’s edition. Per the article:
North Highline, one of the largest urban parts of King County that isn’t in a city, could be split between Seattle and Burien if the two city councils and voters decide that’s a good idea.
Seattle would become the local government for White Center and neighboring communities in the northern portion of North Highline, and Burien would absorb Boulevard Park and other neighborhoods in the southern part. An estimated 33,400 residents would be affected.
The proposed boundary, tentatively agreed to this month by Seattle and Burien, would run mostly along South and Southwest 112th and 116th streets. The agreement defines how much territory each of the cities could annex through the end of 2011. After that, all bets are off.
Feel free to leave your thoughts, but as always, be civil (and rational). Thanks.
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December 23rd, 2008 at 11:41 am
RE: This quote by Tim Ceis,
Partly in Seattle now Ceis said White Center “should be part of Seattle” because the portion of the neighborhood north of Southwest Roxbury Street already is in the city.
…………………………………………………..
The only reason people were led to believe that WC is in Seattle City boundaries is because Mayor Nickels’ entourage and the Seattle City taxpayers without their knowledge, has promoted it as White Center, giving 10’s of thousands of dollars to non-profits and SW Seattle groups to promote it as White Center making residents believe it is all one!
Come visit our WC and see the maps on the Kiosk’s on 16th Ave. S.W. and 98th St. that you paid for creating make believe boundaries, just one of the many many little things added to WC for icing the fake cake.
It never ceased to amaze me the extent they have gone too. It continues on.
Feel free to look into SC Department of Neighborhood grants records, SC Department of Human Services grant records…you would be quite surprised, follow the money.
SC tax payer’s money runs in circles filtering through all the NP’s for promoting annexation of North Highline to Seattle.
SC residents should not have to pay for the SC Mayor’s greed and reckless spending sprees when he can’t even take care of their needs.
Like the signs say,
“No Annexation to Seattle”
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
With Sound Transit reporting another million or so people moving to the Seattle area in the next 10~15 years, isn’t this just inevitable?
December 26th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Actually, many many people who live north of Roxbury say that they live in White Center. And the resources that Seattle has made available have served many of our White Center families well. And some of you complain and suggest some sinister plan. The fact is, Burien can only dream of providing the depth and breadth of resources that so many lower income White Center families can use to get a step up.
As the front page article in the PI about two years ago started out, many of us think we live in Seattle now. Its right across the street. What is so funny about the “We hate Seattle” clan is that they never say anything nice about Burien, they just rant and rant about Seattle.
And as a person quite close to several of the non profits in White Center, money from Seattle has never been an annexation issue with these folks. Some of you will just have to accept the fact that a lot of people want to keep their Seattle address (it is worth thousands and thousands to the value of our homes), property taxes are almost exactly the same as with Burien, yet we get more police officers, stronger fire service, higher property values, stronger renter protection, etc. etc. And even though Seattle has its challenges, look at how Burien has ignored the many concerns its own citizens have expressed about annexation.
Little is not always better. And many of us have not had a probem at all accessing the full-time Seattle City Council and their staff, to discuss these issues, while many of us have given up talking to some on the part-time Burien City Council. For several in Burien, they appear to be more concerned about poking Seattle in the eye rather than addressing the needs of White Center in a coherent regional policy that brings everyone’s interests to the table.
Seattle is a better choice for our future. And the more it is discussed in a balanced way, the louder the “We hate Seattle” crowd get. As I have said before, stay on the issues folks. compare services, compare taxes, compare real estate values, compare city investment into neighborhoods. The more homework you do, the better Seattle looks compared to Burien.
And if you think that your life will be ruined with Seattle annexation, you need counseling. Seattle annexation will be as good, or as bad, as we choose to make it.
Mark Ufkes
White Center Homeowners Association
markufkes@comcast.net
December 27th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I think it is important to point out that Mark Ufkes is one of the only members of the White Center Homeowners Association – he has not opened it up to other homeowners in the area, and certainly does not represent the views of the majority of actual White Center homeowners. Mr. Ufkes you should really make this clear, as you only represent yourself and your own interests.