 In the late 1980s and early 1990s, citizens felt they needed a more responsive government to help address the looming threat of the Port of Seattle's airport runway expansion (known as the "Third Runway") at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to the west, so an effort was again made to incorporate as a city.Citizens also felt that multi-family apartments and dwellings had proliferated out of control in Burien and other unincorporated areas of King County, and that they had no local voice in government, other than the King County Council, that would hear their concerns.The city of Burien was incorporated on February 28, 1993, after voter approval.