About this website
Outside City Hall is a column by John Fox and Carolee Colter of the Seattle Displacement Coalition that has been appearing in Pacific Publishing newspapers and elsewhere since 2004. This web site was recently established to further inform the public of these important issues.
Categories
- Addiction
- Affordable Housing
- Anarchism
- Budget
- City Hall
- Cliff Cawthon articles
- Density
- Displacement
- Election 2017
- Gentrification
- George Howland articles
- Healing
- Homelessness
- Housing Preservation
- Humor
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- Melissa Hellmann
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- Personal Essays
- police accountability
- Politics
- Protest
- racial justice
- Rebekah Demirel articles
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- Trees, parks, and open space
- Uncategorized
- University District
- Upzoning
OUTSIDE CITY HALL Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter, with links to the latest writing by John Fox, Carolee Colter, George Howland Jr., and updates on activities of the Seattle Displacement Coalition.
To subscribe, and if you have questions, please send an email to jvf4119@zipcon.net, or call 206-632-0668.
Category Archives: Politics
Our response to the claim you’re a climate-change denier if you don’t jump on Councilmember Mosqueda’s pro-density crusade.
Mosqueda claims she has a corner on “hard data” but there’s nothing environmentally sound about cramming more growth into Seattle’s neighborhoods We’re breaking records for new rental construction in Seattle at three to four times our normal annual rate. And … Continue reading
Posted in Density, Politics, Transportation, Upzoning
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The Seattle City Council elections: our predicted winner in each race isn’t always who we would prefer
The good, bad, and ugly and our wishes for the victors Ok folks, here’s our predictions for the seven Seattle City Council races. Mind you, they are not always who we would prefer, but rather those most likely to succeed. … Continue reading
Posted in Affordable Housing, City Hall, Density, Displacement, Housing Preservation, Neighborhoods, Politics, Upzoning
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Shaun Scott’s vendetta against single family housing – where 60 percent of all Seattleites live
Scott suggests you’re racist if you don’t want to abolish single-family zoning: does that mean 88,000 people renting one in Seattle are racist (28 percent of renters) and 29 percent of all African-Americans? South of Othello between 46th S and … Continue reading
Posted in Affordable Housing, City Hall, Density, Displacement, Gentrification, Housing Preservation, Neighborhoods, Politics, Upzoning
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Kshama’s rent control “Hail Mary” to mobilize her base; it’s illegal but so what?
Her effort to rein-in rents shows why we need her on the Council Honestly, we didn’t initially take the time to read Kshama’s draft rent control law, because in the literal sense, it’s “not going anywhere fast”. State law explicitly … Continue reading
Posted in Affordable Housing, City Hall, Housing Preservation, Politics, racial justice
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Cliff Cawthon writes about Reagan Dunn’s misguided “homeward bound” program
Busing the homeless out of Seattle won’t help Earlier this month, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn offered what he characterized as a more effective answer to homelessness: free bus tickets out of town. It’s his rebuttal, and what he claims … Continue reading
Posted in Cliff Cawthon articles, Homelessness, Politics
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Councilmember Pacheco wants to remove ‘SEPA’ rules requiring city to study displacement impacts on small businesses due to upzoning
Pacheco’s bill makes study of economic impacts optional and removes right of an appeal to hearing examiner; small businesses along Seattle’s historic “Ave” say it’s intentionally designed to rob them of any chance to secure measures to minimize impacts of … Continue reading
Posted in City Hall, Density, Displacement, Gentrification, Housing Preservation, Politics, University District, Upzoning
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A second round of upzones for historic University District moves forward; activists to hold “Save the Ave” fundraiser, 5pm-9pm, Aug 10th at the Big Time
Rob Johnson, former Councilmember from the 4th District is long gone but his proposal to upzone the Ave and over a dozen other blocks in the neighborhood lives on. Residents and small businesses wonder why CM Johnson proposal moves forward … Continue reading
Posted in City Hall, Density, Displacement, Gentrification, Housing Preservation, Neighborhoods, Politics, University District, Upzoning
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Why Alex Pedersen is the best choice for the District 4 Council seat
Many progressives are skipping over the avowed socialist and labor anointed candidates “because unlike those two, Alex Pedersen has chosen to work with anti-displacement, historic preservation, neighborhood, and small businesses groups fighting runaway growth and gentrification.” In terms of fighting to … Continue reading
Posted in City Hall, Housing Preservation, Neighborhoods, Politics, University District, Upzoning
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City Council plans changes to Seattle’s “intent to sell” law giving tenants (and nonprofits) more time to buy their low income apartments before owners can sell to developers
Housing Committee may vote as early as July 11th; if strengthened, this little known law passed in 2015 could help save many valued low income apartments when they are put up for sale and allow conversion to tenant owned co-ops … Continue reading
Posted in Affordable Housing, Displacement, Gentrification, Housing Preservation, Neighborhoods, Politics, Upzoning
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Our take on Amazon and Microsoft’s recent “gift” to help address Seattle’s homeless crisis
Companies donate $48 million to Plymouth Housing Group: act of generosity or smart move to buy elected leaders’ cooperation? We’re betting you saw the hoopla surrounding recent contributions some of Seattle’s biggest companies made to address our homeless crisis. Amazon … Continue reading
Posted in Affordable Housing, City Hall, Displacement, Neighborhoods, Politics
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Outside City Hall 