Gazette-Times reporter

Program limited to Avery, Pioneer parks

The city of Corvallis will turn the parking lots at Avery Park and Pioneer Park into paid parking lots on Oregon State University football home game days this fall.

The program, where visitors will be charged a $10 fee per car, starts on Saturday when OSU plays the University of Idaho Vandals.

Reser Stadium, home of the Beavers, is within easy walking distance of the two parks.

Picnic shelter reservation permit holders will not be required to pay the special use fee, and will apparently have some areas set aside for them.

The change might not impact people wanting to visit the parks as much as Beaver fans.

For years, people have parked at Avery and Pioneer, possibly tailgated, and then walked over to the game, said Jon Nelson, Corvallis city manager.

"I understand it's been going on for a long time," Nelson said. "Avery Park users have probably become accustomed to going to other parks on game days knowing what they would face," he added.

The pilot program was presented as part of the annual fee review process for the Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department and was approved by the Corvallis City Council.

The city sent out a news release about the program on Friday.

The goal of the paid parking program is to provide the required maintenance service level of the parks and provide traffic and parking control on game days, according to the news release.

"With a failed operating levy and reduced services, we have been looking at not only how we can be more efficient, but other sources of new revenue. … This is one of those things that can benefit the parks and recreation programs," Nelson said.

The program will be monitored this year and then reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the City Council.

OSU also has home games on Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and Nov. 24.

No other city parks will require the special use parking fee.

Avery Park and Pioneer Park are to the south of Highway 20/34 and within blocks of campus.

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