Downtown streets part of complicated land swap between Modesto, tomato cannery

Modesto and Stanislaus Food Products are poised to enter into a land swap that the city says will improve traffic and help it realize part of its vision for downtown.

The City Council on Tuesday will consider a deal that includes Stanislaus Food acquiring from the city 11th Street between D Street and South Morton Boulevard, B Street from 10th to 12th streets, and 12th from B to South Morton Boulevard. The tomato cannery would close the streets as part of improving and expanding its business, according to a city report.

Modesto would acquire from Stanislaus Food land to extend 10th Street from D to B streets, realign a portion of Morton Boulevard to remove it from the flood plain and connect it to 10th Street at a new location and to build a right-hand turn lane at Ninth Street for northbound tomato trucks turning right onto B Street.

Stanislaus Food also would pay Modesto $2.4 million.

Though Modesto and Stanislaus Food have talked about a land swap for several years, this is the first time a deal has been brought to the council. Major proposals typically are brought to one of the council’s committees first where they are vetted before reaching the full council for a vote. That did not happen in this instance, which is a concern for one official.

“This should have been brought to a council committee,” Councilman Bill Zoslocki said Friday. He had not yet reviewed the land swap because the council meeting agenda was published Friday. Zoslocki said his comments are not a criticism of staff or the proposed land swap but of the importance of following a process that allows for ample public discussion of important issues.

Mayor Ted Brandvold said he could not say why this was not reviewed at a council committee, though he said there is a desire to conclude it after several years of discussions.

Public Works Director Bill Sandhu said $2 million of the $2.4 million should cover the city’s cost of extending 10th Street and realigning Morton. He said the $400,000 is for the difference in the value of the property the city is acquiring versus the value of the property Stanislaus Food is acquiring. Sandhu said the city would look for grants to cover the cost of the right-hand turn lane.

Stanislaus Food Products officials did not return a phone call Friday seeking comment.

Sandhu emphasized that if the council approves the land swap, several more steps must be completed for the deal to take place.

Those steps include the city acquiring property from The Salvation Army as part of extending 10th Street, getting California Department of Transportation approval to close 11th and open 10th streets at D Street (that section of D Street is part of Highway 132), environmental reviews and the city approving a development and land-use agreement for Stanislaus Food.

Sandhu said Modesto has had informal talks with The Salvation Army and Caltrans but would start formal discussions if the council approves the land swap. He estimated it will take about two years before streets are closed and others improved if Modesto and Stanislaus Food can complete all of the steps.

The city issues Stanislaus Food a permit to close part of 11th Street during tomato canning season. Sandhu said the land swap will improve traffic during canning season by getting trucks off 11th Street and onto B street from Ninth Street. He said Stanislaus has its truck weigh station at 11th Street but would move it as part of this deal. He said motorists can use 10th Street to access Yosemite Boulevard via Morton.

He also said extending 10th Street is part of the city’s vision for redeveloping its downtown. The goal is to have the street run from Tenth Street Plaza to the Tuolumne River Regional Park, and this project will accomplish that.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.

This story was originally published July 9, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Downtown streets part of complicated land swap between Modesto, tomato cannery."