The City of Burien is re-imagining the long-term future of our city through a coordinated planning effort combining major updates to the Comprehensive Plan, a new Transportation Master Plan, and an update to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan.
Specifically, this planning process focuses on land use, economic development, human services, environmental protection, infrastructure, transportation, parks and open spaces, recreation programs, public art, and cultural services.
Results of this planning effort will guide policymaking, operational plans, and budgets for the next twenty years. It’s vital that community voice guides these important planning processes.
Comprehensive Plan
The City of Burien is embarking on a major update to its Comprehensive Plan. This effort will help Burien plan and build for the next few decades. Planning for this growth helps us build a city with an equitable, sustainable, and healthy future.
The Transportation Master Plan helps determine our community’s current and future transportation needs, guiding how we invest in transportation over the next 20 years.
The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan is a six-year strategic plan for the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. The plan will look at the existing conditions, identify gaps in facilities and programs, and offer strategies, projects, and programs to address those gaps.
Develop a shared vision to guide planning and policy development.
November 2022-March 2023
Draft Strategies and Projects
Staff will communicate what we have heard to date and present draft strategies and projects for feedback.
May 2023-November 2023
Plan Development
Community will provide feedback on draft plans.
November 2023-March 2024
Legislative Process
Plans go before Burien City Council for review and approval. Public comment accepted.
March 2024
Plans Adopted
PROS Plan and TMP Plan adopted and incorporated into other updates to the Comprehensive Plan.
The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (PROS Plan) is a six-year strategic plan for the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. The plan will look at the existing conditions of our facilities and programs, listen to community desires and priorities, identify gaps in facilities and programs, propose strategies, projects and programs to address those gaps, and finalize those strategies and a prioritized capital improvement plan in the final PROS Plan. The PROS Plan was last updated in 2018.
Get Involved
There are several ways you can get involved:
Mark your calendars for one of our upcoming events.
Subscribe to email updates using the form on this page.
Send your thoughts to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board via email.
Upcoming Events
There are no upcoming events.
Subscribe to Updates
Project Contact
Carolyn Hope, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director
We will be evaluating the location, quality, and barriers to accessing our current parks, recreation programs and facilities, and cultural services programming. The plan will make recommendations for improving existing facilities and services, priorities for public art, and evaluate feasibility of new parks in key neighborhoods.
We will be asking neighbors to provide feedback on all parks, but with a specific focus on needs for a few key parks including: Hilltop Park, Community Center Annex and garden, Jacob Ambaum Park, Chelsea Park, Puget Sound Park, Hazel Valley Park, Southern Heights Park, Manhattan Park, Moshier Memorial Park, and Salmon Creek Park/Salmon Creek Ravine.
What is a PROS Plan?
A PROS plan is a functional plan that develops strategies to implement the policies adopted in the Comprehensive Plan. The plan evaluates the current inventory of assets and the community’s desired level of service for future assets, then identifies gaps in the system. It also prioritizes capital project investments in the community for use in the City’s budgeting process and to make the City eligible to apply for grants to fund those priority projects.
Key Concepts
Park level of service: Level of service (LOS) is a term that describes the amount and quality of park and recreation facilities that are needed to serve the community at a desired and measurable standard.
Park Facilities: This is a general term that refers to the types of recreational amenities in parks or recreation centers such as sport fields, sports courts, picnic areas, playgrounds, or arts classrooms.
Envision the future of parks, recreation, and cultural services in our community.
Spring-Summer 2023
Strategies Development
Develop and get feedback on proposed strategies to meet community needs.
Summer 2023
Draft Plan
Draft and get feedback on plan with capital project and program priorities.
Summer 2023
Advisory Board and Council Review and Approval
Draft final plan and gather community feedback.
Summer/Fall 2023
Final Plan Development and Adoption
Present plan to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Arts Commission, and City Council for adoption by January 2024. Public comment encouraged.
January 2024
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Submit plan to Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
The Transportation Master Plan helps determine our community’s current and future transportation needs, guiding how we invest in transportation over the next 20 years. The plan was last updated in 2012. We need your ideas about how to keep our transportation network safe, healthy, and efficient.
The updated plan will include recommendations about how to pay for improvements. This plan influences transportation decisions for the next 20 years.
Get Involved
There are several ways you can get involved:
Mark your calendars for one of our upcoming events.
Subscribe to email updates using the form on this page.
Send your thoughts to the Planning Commission via email.
Specifically, the Transportation Master Plan will:
Develop transportation networks for all users including drivers, transit riders, and people that walk, roll, or ride a bicycle.
Predict how well the system will work in the future and suggest improvements.
Establish new goals and policies to guide City decision-making.
Develop a prioritized list of transportation projects to support bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and drivers.
What is a Transportation Master Plan?
The Transportation Master Plan is the City’s long-range plan for establishing a sustainable network for all modes of our transportation. It guides investment decisions in the City’s Capital Improvement Program, coordinates transportation improvements with land uses and development, and plans for transportation infrastructure needed to respond to growth. The Transportation Master Plan is closely coordinated with other city-wide plans and is included as an element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
City of Burien Transportation Plan (Adopted 2012)
The Burien City Council approved Resolution No. 332 adopting the Transportation Master Plan on May 7, 2012. The TMP ensures coordination between transportation decision-making and the adopted Land Use Element of Burien’s Comprehensive Plan and addresses community values as articulated through the City’s Vision Statement. The Transportation Master Plan informs the development of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) by identifying the types of projects that are needed to support future travel trends and providing a framework for evaluating how they fit within community values and fiscal resources.
Beginning in May 2011, transportation consultant Fehr & Peers and the Burien Transportation Master Plan Advisory Committee, representing a broad cross-section of the City’s neighborhoods and transportation interest groups, analyzed Burien’s existing transportation system and reviewed existing comprehensive plan transportation policies to develop a new transportation vision for the City.
2023–2028 Transportation Improvement Program (proposed)
The Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a mid-range planning document that is annually updated based on needs and policies identified through a variety of sources. Project and financial development involve interactions with many groups and agencies at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. It represents the City of Burien’s current list of needed projects that may begin work in the next six years.
The primary importance of the Six Year TIP is to act as a planning tool for the development of transportation facilities within the City. It is used to coordinate transportation projects with our utility districts and other agencies. Staff has evaluated last year’s TIP with respect to the new Transportation Master Plan to ensure that the new TIP is coordinated with the TMP’s goals and the multimodal layered network concept. In most cases, local projects must be included in the TIP to be eligible for state and federal grant programs.
Walk and Roll, Bike, Transit, Vehicle, and Freight
Summer 2023
Identify Projects, Programs, and Policies
Summer-Fall 2023
Prioritize Projects, Programs, and Policies
Fall 2023
Draft Plan
Spring 2024
Final Plan Development and Adoption
Featured Project
The City of Burien is embarking on a major update to it Comprehensive Plan. This effort will help Burien plan and build for the next few decades. Planning for this growth helps us build a City with an equitable, sustainable, and healthy future. The Comprehensive Plan covers many topics including land use and zoning, economic development, public services, environmental protection, and infrastructure, meeting the community’s needs and reflecting the community’s vision.
Get Involved
There are several ways you can get involved:
Mark your calendars for one of our upcoming events.
Subscribe to email updates using the form on this page.
Send your thoughts to the Planning Commission via email.
Identify and implement the community’s vision and priorities
Extend Burien’s planning horizon to 2044
Comply with the State’s Growth Management Act and regional planning requirements
Incorporate updates from Transportation Master Plan and Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan, which set infrastructure priorities for the next 6–20 years
Comprehensive Plan Focus Areas
The Comprehensive Plan update will focus on the following:
Integration of equity into the planning and engagement process and policy development
Housing to meet state requirements and local household needs for affordable ownership and rental housing, especially “missing middle” housing
Employment opportunities and jobs capacity to meet growth targets and improve jobs-housing balance
Regulations and incentives to realize Burien’s vision for mixed uses, gathering spaces, affordable housing, and job opportunities in Downtown, 1st Ave, Five Corners
Avoiding and addressing displacement risks for housing and jobs
Equitable access to parks, recreation, and services
Supporting transportation by all modes including active transportation like pedestrian and bike facilities, long-term maintenance, and capital investments
Airport policies and compatibility
Healthy communities promoting clean air and water, trees, and noise management
Climate resilience to adapt and protect our places and people from extreme heat, flooding or sea level rise
Critical areas (streams, wetlands) restoration and green infrastructure (like rain gardens)
Human services and meeting people’s needs
Creating effective, streamlined, and implementable plans that guide and direct development and investment
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Comprehensive Plan? A Comprehensive Plan guides Burien’s physical development over 20 or more years including desires for housing and job growth, community character, capital investments in infrastructure and services, and policies and regulations. The Plan is informed by and addresses community values and needs.
How will this affect me? An updated Comprehensive Plan can impact housing choices, the location of jobs, walking/biking/car mobility, parks and recreation opportunities, and overall public services. The Comprehensive Plan and updated policies can help all of Burien.
Why do we have to accept growth? In Washington State laws and policies determine that growth be directed to some areas and away from others. Burien is in an urban area that will always have growth directed to it, and we’re required to accommodate the growth distributed to our city while protecting critical areas and providing for parks and open space. Growing “up not out” helps protect regional natural resources like farmlands and forests.
Why are we updating the Plan now? Why not wait? The GMA requires Comprehensive Plans to be updated periodically. The State deadline is December 31, 2024. Also, updating housing, transportation, economic development and other elements can meet critical community needs.
When will there be community engagement for the Comprehensive Plan? Burien has developed multiple ways for the community to be involved in this update. We are trying to make sure we are reaching people where they are at and making it easy to participate in this process.
Environmental Impact Statement
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is an environmental review of growth alternatives to help guide community discussion on growth options and priorities. The Environmental review for the Comprehensive Plan update will meet the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requirements and will consist of a number of natural and built environment elements.
The environmental review will be shared with the community in draft and final stages of the Comprehensive Plan.
Project Timeline
Fall 2022
Community Visioning
Winter 2023
Preliminary Plan Development and Environmental Impact Statement
Spring 2023
Preliminary Urban Center Code Development
Summer 2023
Draft Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Comment Period
Winter/Spring 2024
Preferred Alternative and Environmental Impact Statement
