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Council asks for more information on Park & Ride use as county weighs closing site
Summary
Following a county-hosted meeting on overnight camping at the Park & Ride, Stayton councilors asked staff to gather more outreach and usage data before supporting closure; several councilors said they would favor closure after further information.
Councilors discussed concerns about overnight camping, debris and public nuisance at Stayton's Park & Ride lot after a county-hosted town-hall on the site.
Julia (staff) reported on the county's meeting attended by county commissioners, sheriff representatives, ODOT and local stakeholders. Participants raised options ranging from increased patrols to physically closing the lot with a gate or boulders. Staff said ODOT owns the property and that the county has authority to close or control access to the site; the county asked that any decision have local community support.
Councilors urged staff to gather more information about who uses the lot, where regular users would go if the lot closed, and whether nearby alternatives (such as a bus stop by Safeway) could accommodate displaced riders. Some councilors expressed concern that closing the lot would push parking to other local private lots. Others emphasized the site's appearance as the town's gateway and favored closure if outreach shows limited legitimate use.
Staff said county and state agencies conduct patrols and cleanups subject to their available resources; ODOT has cleaned the site when possible but has limited capacity. Council requested that staff do outreach with users and neighboring jurisdictions and report back with options and possible mitigation or alternatives before the council makes a formal decision.
