City of Burien Stormwater Planning Burien, Washington

Ongoing work across numerous planning and design projects with the City of Burien has resulted in several regional stormwater facilities to serve redevelopment and growth. With several targeted and city-wide stormwater plans in place, the City of Burien is addressing drainage issues and investing in green infrastructure to support development while protecting local streams. In developing these plans and its subsequent projects, Otak also led community engagement in person and through interactive GIS StoryMaps to ensure an equitable process as well as community and staff buy-in.

Leveraging GIS Data for Ongoing, Equitable Stormwater Improvement

Starting with a master drainage plan for the North East Redevelopment Area (NERA), the City of Burien has expanded its stormwater approach and broader infrastructure development goals. Using hydrologic analysis and hydraulic modeling, the NERA plan included managing existing and future stormwater needs. The plan was implemented through years of design work, including all the way through construction management for regional stormwater facilities. Later, a Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) was developed based on basin-level GIS analyses to protect and improve Miller Creek through green infrastructure and policy changes in the downtown catchment. The broader Burien stormwater master plan goes further to analyze city-wide drainage issues and design system improvements. These actions position the city to reduce flooding and improve water quality for the community.