Turn abandoned ag center into park space

My response to the Peach property Bee article (Aug. 1): This is a historical site of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Center dating back to the early 1900s. There were laboratory buildings, grounds for experiments, a reservoir used as a swimming pool and a house, so that it was it was watched over. Much outstanding work on the crops of our area was done there.

My late husband, Dr. Werner Lipton, was a research leader there for 30 years. I still meet with people I call the “lab ladies,” secretaries and wives from that former lab. Now, after the lab moved to Parlier, it has been mostly abandoned. We are sorely in need of park space in Fresno and we want to preserve history.

I propose that first private money make it a green space and tear down the buildings for recycling. Then step two, later design a horticultural garden on part of the property.

This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Turn abandoned ag center into park space."