Happy New Year, and welcome to the Seaside Signal. The year turns with the announcement of a major affordable housing initiative in Seaside.

Hotel conversion

Representatives of CareOregon won a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission to convert the existing Red Lion Inn & Suites on S. Holladay Drive into 55 affordable and market rate apartments.

Up to 35% of the apartments will be affordable to lower-income residents. Social service agencies will maintain an on-site presence to serve residents with special needs. Remaining units will be market rate for regional medical and social service staff.

Camping hazard

This comes at a time of critical need. Homeless camping facilities at the Mill Ponds face natural hazard risks from flooding of the river, freezing temperatures and high winds. In late December, rising water swept a homeless man in his tent into floodwaters at Mill Ponds Natural History Park.

The rescue comes a little more than a week after Brandon Gillette, a 43-year-old homeless man, was found dead at the homeless campsite off of Alder Mill Avenue. Gillette was found on Dec. 19 under the first tent at the campsite.

Read more about the risks and options facing the city’s unsheltered population here.

On the court

And Seaside’s basketball teams continue on a roll. Catch up on their latest tournament action, including wins at the holiday tournament and in Newport. Just over a week after winning their own annual holiday tournament, the Gulls went 3-0 to win the Newport Coast Classic, held Dec. 28 through Dec. 30 at Newport High School.

Seaside girls held off Rochester 37-24 in the third place game of the Seaside Holiday Classic on Dec. 17.

Rochester — a 2A Washington school — trailed just 19-14 at halftime, before the Gulls reeled off a 14-2 run to start the second half to put the game away. Read more here. 

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