City hopes to continue the new program

With a 10-4 record, a national ranking and a dramatic, come-from-behind win in the Sun Bowl, the Oregon State University football team had a fantastic year.

The city of Corvallis' new game-day parking program also had a great season, and staff will recommend continuing the project.

Nearly $20,000 was raised through charging cars $10 to park at Avery and Pioneer parks during six of the Beavers' home games, said Steve DeGhetto, city parks operations supervisor.

About $5,000 was budgeted for expenses such as staff and extra port-a-potties and garbage cans.

"I think it worked pretty well," DeGhetto said. "We had a couple sell-outs, where they sold every parking space."

The program will need to be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and approved by the City Council.

DeGhetto also said the city would like to partner with a nonprofit, so a local organization could provide the parking and other services and benefit.

"I don't know what the split will be on that," he added.

City officials said OSU fans have used Avery and Pioneer parks on game days for years, then walked over to nearby Reser Stadium. The activity in the parks resulted in cleanup costs after the games and reduced reservations for picnic areas.

The parking program enabled the city to benefit from the use of city parks as de facto parking lots, as well as to monitor the situation, so there wasn't parking in off-limits areas and other problems.

"It became less of a nuisance for the other public, because there was some level of control. We had people come up to us and say they felt like it was a safer place to be," DeGhetto said.

Kyle Odegard covers Benton County government, Philomath and rural Benton County. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.