Approval from Aberdeen City Council should lead to a better life for many Grays Harbor College students and other people in search of homes in South Aberdeen.

The council agreed to a second reading to a rezone of land privately owned by Grays Harbor College and JOPE Development.

The rezoning allows for three apartment buildings in the vicinity of Griffith and South Lewis streets, near Alder Creek. There is a need for affordable housing and more student housing in the area.

“The properties are currently zoned general commercial and residential single-family,” according to city documents. “The city is proposing to rezone this area to major institutional — which will change to civic with the new zoning code. This zone is a better fit for the surrounding area and adjacent properties.”

Stan Sidor, Aberdeen city councilor, spoke about the matter.

“As the lady in the audience just mentioned, the city is in desperate need of some housing,” Sidor said. “This will bring in, as I understand it, the proposal is to be able to bring in 36 additional housing units, multi-family housing over by the college.”

Sidor mentioned the people who have written the city their dissenting views. People have disagreed with rezoning because of construction noise, traffic and the destruction of wetlands.

“I know there are some citizens living in the area who are opposed to this, they see the loss of some wild area that currently is there,” Sidor said. “However, it is not public property, it is not a public park, it is privately-owned property and the developers want to put it to its best use economically and develop it. And I think we should support that.”

ContactReporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.