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Seaside opens new managed camp on Avenue V; old Avenue S site closed, officials say
Summary
Seaside officials and outreach staff said the old camp on Avenue S is closed and a new, managed camp on Avenue V opened Tuesday; the city turned daily operations to CCA and set new site rules and capacities to address sanitation and safety concerns.
Seamus, a staff member working with the outreach effort, told the Health Services Advisory Committee that the old Seaside encampment on Avenue S closed and a new managed camp on Avenue V opened Tuesday at 10 a.m.
“The old camp on, Alderman Avenue S, is closed officially, an hour ago, and should be locked up. The new camp officially opened on Tuesday at 10AM and has been slowly, seeing a a transition over there,” Seamus said during the committee meeting. He reported that about 17 spots had been filled shortly before the meeting and said the new site’s planned capacity is 50 people, with four additional overflow spots that must be renewed daily.
The city has contracted with CCA to run and monitor the new site, Seamus said, and the camp includes behavioral rules and site standards: two tarps per site provided, one tarp for under a tent and one over it; tents provided by the managing agency; limits on pets (one per site), no drugs or alcohol on site, designated smoking areas, and prohibitions on hate speech on signs. Seamus said sites will be monitored and managers will enforce the rules.
Neighbors and committee members said the new arrangement aims to address longstanding sanitation and safety concerns at the old site. Chair Randy described heavy debris and rodent problems at the Avenue S location and said neighbors had reported rat infestations. “If you look at that camp right now, what they're leaving on Avenue S, it is worse than going to the dump,” Randy said; he and other members said they hope CCA’s daily presence will improve conditions.
Committee members said the city has closed and relocated nearby services tied to the old camp (recycling collection points and fenced areas) and is monitoring the new camp’s operations. Seamus said enforcement and outreach will continue and that partners — CCA, city staff and local community organizations — are coordinating transitions of residents to the new site.
Ending: Committee members asked that the city and CCA continue outreach and enforcement and requested updates at future meetings; no formal committee action was taken at this meeting.
