Lawyer Sees the 'Ghost of Seattle's Future'

In the midst of a development and tech boom, Seattle faces the specter of a San Francisco-like future. According to an article by Bob Young, "Mayor Ed Murray wanted a strategy to keep Seattle housing from becoming too expensive. He knew it had to go through Jack McCullough."

As one of the region's top land use lawyers, McCullough represents developers who want to minimize city fees on their projects. The article, an admittedly laudatory piece on McCullough, centers on "a compromise Murray called the 'Grand Bargain.' The city would pull back some of its proposed mandatory fees on development while still moving toward its goal; McCullough would holster his lawsuit challenging the city's system of collecting fees from developers for affordable housing and another one in the works."

The deal McCullough brokered may preserve robust development as well as a conduit for affordable housing. From the article: "But McCullough, whose parents were a laborer and secretary, knows not everyone is doing so well, and festering social problems aren't in the interest of his clients. He saw the 'ghost of Seattle's future,' he said, and it was San Francisco."