While Sterling Ranch Park in Denair is a welcoming community park during the day, nearby residents are not happy about the potentially illegal nightly activities at the park that are exacerbated by poor lighting.

“You hear the voices but you don’t see anyone. It’s that black,” said Sterling Ranch Park neighbor Kim Bettencourt.

While Bettencourt said the park is used positively during the day for parties, by daycares and even to host the monthly Denair Vendors in the Park event, ultimately the nightly activities have been an issue “since day one” when she moved there in 2009.

Sterling Ranch Park is located at the corner of Salluce Drive and McCauley Avenue where large grassy fields are conducive to sports and a play structure is utilized by kids. However, there is concern that illegal activities, such as drug deals, are taking place at the park after hours said Denair Municipal Advisory Council president Dennis Findley.

“The problem is that there is a lot of youth activity in the park at night and residents over there are wanting lighting put in by the county,” said Findley. “The latest thing the county says is that in order to do that, the residents are going to have to pay for it, although they are in the lighting district.”

Findley said the county will be administering a survey to residents to determine who would be willing to pay to install the lights and an update by the Stanislaus County Community Parks is slated to be provided at Tuesday’s MAC meeting.

The Denair Municipal Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Leadership Center located at 3460 Lester Rd. in Denair.