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King County accuses City of Burien of mishandling homeless camp removal

Burien initially planned to turn the lot into a dog park after the camp was cleared, but King County says alternative housing arrangements haven't been made.

BURIEN, Wash. — The Burien City Council held a special council meeting as they work to address a growing homelessness crisis – specifically one lot near city hall on the corner of Southwest 152nd and Sixth Avenue Southwest. 

The area has turned into a homeless camp that no one quite knows how to deal with. 

The City of Burien thought it was moving towards something when it finalized a lease in 2023 to have a nonprofit turn the property into a dog park. Earlier this month the Burien City Council and city manager received a five-page letter from the King County Executive’s general council. In that letter, the county said it can’t participate in any cleanup until “alternative housing arrangements are made,” adding that “the county will not put its law enforcement personnel in an untenable legal position.”

There is a notice posted on several traffic cones on the property asking people to vacate the area by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. 

The city of Burien, in response, says that the “general council’s letter misrepresents fact,” and went on to call a special council meeting on the very topic.

On Tuesday tensions came to a head in a specially-called council meeting on the same topic. 

“My kids will not take my grandkids to the library, they won't walk up and down the city streets. I have had it,” said longtime Burien resident Mike Probach.  

“Every one of you guys has destroyed my city. Every one of you has, six weeks ago I had it after I saw people using the parking strip as a toilet, drug dealings – and someone self-gratifying at the corner by the library,” he continued. 

Jen Greenstien a Burien resident also addressed the council during the capacity meeting. 

“I am a social worker, I work with families looking for housing when there is nowhere for them to go. Leasing the property is a disingenuous move. Any sweeps that come of it are inhumane, a violation of human and civil rights as spelled out by federal law,” Greenstein said.

By the end of the meeting, no decision was made and the camp on the corner stays another night. 

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