With the closing and sale of former Seaside School District facilities, Chris Corder and Jessica Garrigues turned to the City Council to discuss options for baseball and softball activities.

“Specifically, we’ve lost several of those opportunities in the sale of some schools with the Gearhart school, and potential loss of the so-called North 40 area,” Corder said.

Corder, a member of the Seaside School District board of directors, said he was speaking as a private citizen.

The North 40, land north of the former high school, belonged to Clatsop County and was deeded to the city after the closing of the school. Teams used the area for soccer, baseball and other activities.

“I don’t know much about what’s in the works,” Corder said. “But I do know that our city is in dire need of this type of amenity. And we really need to encourage this development and investment in our youth.”

With the closing of Gearhart Elementary, teams lost areas for softball, baseball, soccer and pee-wee football, Garrigues said. “We lost three fields and even more space that was used for practices. And so we really have a big need for that outdoor space.”

Garrigues, who coaches at Seaside High School, said she was representing herself as a community member and also Seaside Kids Inc. board member.

Seaside Kids Inc. supports working with the city to try to find more outdoor recreation opportunities and locations, she said.

Council referred Corder and Garrigues to the Parks Advisory Committee to help figure out how to spearhead a drive for more fields.