After acquiring two properties from the county at the north end of the former Seaside High School site, the city found state goals could conflict with goals of providing affordable housing on the properties.

The state does not want cities to build in tsunami zones, housing task force chairman Steve Wright said on Oct. 3.

“Yet the state also wants you to get lots of housing,” he added.

In April, the county issued a request for expression of interest on 15 surplus properties that could be used for housing, child care and social services. Four of the properties are in Seaside.

Two of those properties are considered unsuitable for development, but the two sites north of the high school — referred to as the “North 40” — showed housing potential. Seaside officials had hoped to draw on state Senate Bill 8, which allows industrial zoned properties to be rezoned for housing to bring as many as 24 units to the properties, a combined 1.85 acres.

But at a housing task force workshop on Oct. 3, City Planner Jeff Flory said while the bill aims to promote housing, the bill also limits building in natural hazard areas.

“Unfortunately, that, along with most of Seaside, is in the tsunami inundation zone, so utilizing that Senate bill is probably not going to work for us,” Flory said.

City Manager Spencer Kyle said two competing priorities and goals – affordable housing and safeguarding from natural disasters– are at odds with each other. Saying no to one means saying no to another.

“Which is more critical right now in our state and that is affordable housing, or is it a response to our preparation for remediation of a natural hazard?” Kyle asked.

Making the choice, he added, is a “bitter pill” for Oregon’s coastal communities.