At mid-day on Saturday, July 20, umbrellas offer shade at Charli’s on I-5, the food truck pod on Airport Road.
Since last winter there has been a pod of food trucks, “Charli’s on I-5,” near the freeway in Albany, just off southbound Exit 234 on Airport Road.
Last month the owners asked the Albany City Council to let them keep in place a large tent they had put up to shelter diners, to no avail.
The tent was still there at the time. But it was gone Saturday, when I stopped at Charli’s on a bike ride.
The tent had been permitted for only six months, and the city noticed that it was still there “in excess of 180 days without … permits,” according to an undated entry in the city’s online listing of building permits.
In their council appearance in June, the owners suggested a code change allowing such tents to remain in place, with periodic inspections, for longer periods of time.
Large tents like this apparently are regulated by the state fire code, over which cities have no control. In any case, by this month the tent had been replaced by seven umbrellas. On Saturday the umbrellas provided welcome shade, shielding people from the mid-day sun.
I didn’t reach anyone in charge of this business and don’t know if the tent, perhaps with a new 180-day permit, will make a comeback this coming winter. For the sake of comfort while having a meal there in January, the answer should be yes. (hh)
Charli’s food pod is where the former Yaquina Bay restaurant was torn down. (Photo taken June 15, 2024)
This was the tent at the food pod on June 15, 2024.
Good! The barn in n Albany did it the right way. Unfair if these people just get to ignore the rules.
First, they took the tent down so they didn’t violate some circa 1900 fire regulation caused by using material subject to fire. There are many fire retardant materials used in manufacturing tents so fire should not be a problem. I doubt very much that military tents catch on fire.
That is pretty bad when business owners trying to do business are held to unreasonable rules when the homeless trash everything. The food truck is not cooking inside the tent. Following fire codes greatly reduces the risk of fire and it spreading. Permanent restaurants are not fireproof. They have requirements to reduce the chances of fire starting and spreading if it does start. Are the tents at Marvin’s garden camp fireproof? The smokers at the camp and shelter throw live cigarettes on the ground. What about the near by homes and businesses if the camp catches fire? If the city wants to enforce the rules they should apply them to everyone. The rules should be reasonable for responsible people who do practice safety as a part of doing their business as food carts are required to do. The city’s inequity is very blatant in many areas. The food cart area is well maintained and a good business. This shows how the laws are used to hinder positive local commerce. The shelter could open a food cart without following any rules because the city allows its non-profit status justification to function outside the laws.
Homeless trash everything really that’s far from truthful your wrong and should be ashamed of yourself
Hasso, our family thanks you for your blog. It has been an invaluable educational tool for our kiddos. Learning the good, the bad, and the ugly of our community is more than parents could teach them. They are more aware of the struggles we have faced in being a part of the community. While we are not perfect, we have tried our very best in every way to promote a positive community and family. We as parents have learned that are kiddos are really good, kind and thoughtful people too. We may not have made an economic fortune living in Albany nor cultivated a positive impact on the community due to its limitations but we are very fortunate none the less.
Can the city be a little more concerned about all of the tents and hazardous conditions all over the Bowman Park trails?!
You keep all our fingers on the local pulse! Thank you for being out there.