Corvallis streateries cause of parking woes, residents say

As new streateries pop up in Corvallis, some residents are saying there could be an unexpected consequence.

Fund savings for the biennium.

For local businesses, streateries have been a lifeline during the pandemic, but some residents say they've had an unexpected consequence.

Kezi 9 news reporter emma jerome was in corvallis today asking people what pros exist?

And what cons there are.

Nats corvallis police are the ones in charge of parking enforcement.

Sebastian mauer "if you do this job all day, patrolling the streets, certain cars are going to stand out and so maybe subconsciously they see our cars more often than the normal resident who's also taking up the spots and so they target us that way.

Certainly by gathering lists of the residents, they target us that way" ej: " sebastian mauer says his parking habits over the last year and a half have not changed, but he says the hit to his wallet has.

Sebastian says in the last week alone hes gotten 70 dollars in parking tickets - he says he feels targeted" mauer said his building manager told him - parking enforcement was looking to gather a list of residents in the downtown core sm: "i feel it's a little unfair... sometimes targeted, " there's 37 less spots in downtown and in the last two days i've gotten 75 dollars worth of tickets" business owners say streateries have been great for them.

Mark obrien "we've had the streatery for about a month now.

It's been awesome.

People love it" adding with the abundance of parking - it's a small price to pay.

"because of the pandemic, people aren't driving as much downtown.

There's plenty of parking downtown all the time.

So this is a small sacrifice."

Legally, residents, employees, and business owners of downtown*can't park downtown due to city code.

Police say they all but suspended enforcing parking violations due to the pandemic, and only recently started fully enforcing the rules, and have issued a lot more warnings than usual.

Mauer says he's called the city, tweeted at the city, and even gone to the courthouse where he says he was almost arrested because he insisted on seeing a judge and wouldn't leave until he did.

He said he just wanted answers and never got any.

Reporting in corvallis emma jerome kezi 9 news there are more bicyclists out on