How Does a Park Become ‘Surplus’ in the County’s Eyes?
By Emerson Drake 
Mono Park is a pretty two acres of green consisting of large beautiful trees, picnic and play area on Mono Drive between Santa Ana and Santa Rita Ave in Modesto’s Airport District. It is an oasis of green with its large/huge trees and lawn in an area that has very few comforts the rest of us have come to rely on, you know, like sidewalks. Sidewalks should not be an exception in residential areas instead of the rule but that’s the fact of life in many of the County’s unincorporated areas.
Now the County has staff exploring whether Mono Park should stay a park or be labeled ‘surplus’ then sold to friends and possibly be turned into warehouses for the likes of the Gallo’s or one of their many subsidiaries. Of course the County doesn’t want to speculate as to who might purchase the site. But their flyer specifically mentions cutting down the beautiful trees in the park
A community meeting was held March 13th at Orville Wright Elementary school by the Airport Community Collaborative. According to the County approximately 20 people attended. The County dangled the carrot in front of the people suggesting maybe sidewalks or a new roof for the Legion Hall.
Improving the Quality of Life By Selling Our Parks? If we sell Mono Park to the Gallo’s for warehouse space then even more trucks will be coming into the Airport District. Our local Air Pollution Control Board says the single biggest polluting factor in the central valley are the diesel trucks driving up and down Highway 99. So the County’s answer to how can we improve the quality of life in Modesto and specifically the Airport District is to have more trucks with the accompanying dirt, dust, noise, and pollution at all hours in our neighborhoods. But then again why should they be concerned, none of the Board of Supervisors lives anywhere close to there.
So the County is using slight of hand, mixing in a little community involvement, Gallo money, and Presto Change-o, you have one less park for the children to play in and for families to picnic in.
The next park they decide is surplus may be YOURS.
Eye On Modesto 
I think the long term agenda is and has been for many years to get rid of the Airport District, expand the airport and the rest goes to Gallo Winery. If the city rids itself of a high crime and poverty area “blight” will be eliminated. People and lives are not considered in the mix.
Not sure what they will do with the park area. I can see where Gallo might shut down access to Legion Park it at Santa Cruz. I know most of the old park would not even mowed except community members involvement. Bathrooms have been eliminated and a soccer field across the street has been built which is never used. If there is no bathroom, why would they build a soccer field (which is never used). 🙂
Sorry for the mistakes. My typing and literary skills are not what they were.
Don’t sweat the details. We’re glad to have your input.
Modesto is a sorry excuse for a City, the City Council is for the most part, heartless, useless people there’s no compassion for People who are down on their luck, no place for them to lay down and be treated like human beings, why is it we have no place for them to get in out of the cold where they can get cleaned up?the truth is they don’t want Homeless People to hang around Parks, Stores and Buildings, I think it disgusting the way the City Council treats the Homeless People in Modesto, it hasn’t been long since I read that a woman was being raped on the Banks of the River, there’s no safe place’s for homeless women to sleep, there’s no restrooms for them, they are not allowed to sleep in the parks or even be there, If they are treated like animals, how do the City Council (that runs this City ) expect them to act? there’s the new path that go’s From Briggsmore past several neighborhoods and streets meant to be an area for people to take walk’s, ride Bikes or just sit , read a book or watch the birds in a supposed safe place, it has become an area for the thugs to rob people and threaten them with being stabbed or shot! there’s something wrong here and it’s not just the Airport District that’s been a den for Drugs and Crime it’s all over the City, older people are putting up with the Younger people who thinks they own the Streets, Parks and Steals from Stores and People
that trash the Neighborhoods! so why is it that people can rob , steal and do a few months and get out? they should have to work and Pay back people they steal from but the Police in this Town don’t care if they did they would catch and prosecute them instead of writing Speeding tickets for City Revenue, So what’s the ” PLAN ” ?you close a Park so the Tax payers who pays Tax’s to use the park and care for it and give it away? that’s really not their Business to close Parks that peoples Tax Dollars paid for, if you notice when the City does some hateful thing like that,! Children are Loosing out, they need Play equipment and wading pools in the Parks, so why don’t they start PROGRAM FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLEAN THE RESTROOM, have an area where people can shower and use the water from it to water the LAWNS IN THE PARK? People needs to have Decent places to feel like they are Valuable, if they are treated like trash they act like it! anyone ever notice the New Neighborhoods has nice Parks and the Older ones gets none at all or what they have is neglected?
the County has never cared about doing what’s right for the People, it’s all about them, thats why we have no Industry left! they take from the Taxpayers and stick it in their pockets! and Cal-Trans is a joke I have never seen such waste in my life