A 10-acre parcel of forest land abutting Seahurst Park that was recently surveyed is privately owned and parts of it can be developed, and the City of Burien says it has been granted a Deed of Conservation Easement.

King County’s website says the parcel (#1323039006) is located at 14404 18th Ave SW, adjacent to the south side of the park.

The city said that this type of easement allows the land to remain in its natural state and be used for low-impact public access in perpetuity.

However, the city said that there is a small carveout for the owner to develop up to four house sites, no larger than 10,000 square feet per site, on two acres of the nearly 10-acre parcel that many believed was actually part of Seahurst Park.

Burien city staff told us they spoke with the property owner, who indicated that the survey was conducted for them to confirm where property lines are located, “but that no development is being planned at this time.”

Several Residents and Park Users are Concerned

“This is one of the most intact ecosystems in Burien with two streams running through it,” a frequent park user who spotted the surveying told us. “A trail runs from the upper Seahurst parking lot to 18th Ave SW, and South Sound Nature School takes hundreds of kids in there every year. One would hope that the city can purchase it and officially incorporate it into the park!”

Here’s more info on this type of easement from the Washington Association of Land Trusts:

“How do conservation easements work?

“Land ownership carries with it a bundle of rights, including the right to develop, construct buildings, farm, restrict access or harvest timber, among others. A landowner can give up one or more of those rights for a purpose such as conservation while retaining ownership of the remainder of the rights. In ceding a right, the landowner ‘eases’ it to another entity, such as a land trust. For example, a landowner might give up the right to build additional structures while retaining the right to grow crops.

“Each conservation easement is unique. A land trust will work with each landowner to determine their conservation goals, in combination with the goals of the land trust and the community. Land trusts work with interested landowners to determine the best plan for the future of their land.”

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