City seeks to dismantle High Street abandoned warehouse
By Sylvie Belmond belnond@theacorn.com

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Acorn Newspapers RENOVATION- Moorpark City Council members and other city employees tour the old loading station next to the railroad tracks on High Street on Thursday to discuss the possibility of demolition. The silos are deteriorating and are frequently targeted by taggers. Raw sewage, garbage and alcohol containers litter the site. The silos are seen as dangerous and a public safety issue.

The Moorpark Redevelopment Agency has plans to tear down the vacant agricultural warehouse at 192 High St. The structure consists of a façade, two metal buildings and four silos. The facility, once used to load soybeans and other dry agricultural goods onto trains, has been vacant for many years.

Agency officials said during a meeting last week they intend to preserve and repair the "train station" façade for aesthetic reasons, but other parts of the building are unsafe and must be demolished.

Also, the city has received reports that homeless people live in the buildings, which are filled with debris, trash and graffiti, according to David Moe, redevelopment agency manager.

SEBASTIAN RAMIREZ/Special to the Acorn Newspaper CLOSE INSPECTION- Councilmember Janice Parvin examines the south side of the decaying silo structure as part of an investigative committee of Moorpark city employees.

The plan to take down the unused warehouse is one more step in trying to improve High Street, said Councilmember Roseann Mikos, who visited the site with other officials last week.

"It's a perfect example of blight that needs to be removed and replaced with new things. That's what redevelopment is all about," she said.

The dilapidated structures are infested with rats, Mikos said. "The walls are practically falling down and the silos are weakened and could fall down on train tracks. There's dry rot just about everywhere," Mikos said.

Before demolition can begin, officials said, the city must conduct a study to determine the potential environmental impact of the project. The buildings have been red-tagged to prevent people from entering until studies are completed.

The 2-acre property was leased to the former owner of the Egg City chicken ranch in 1975 and was acquired by the city for redevelopment purposes in 1994.

The Redevelopment Agency is now working with a developer to build restaurants and retail outlets on the site. Other redevelopment projects in the area include the construction of a small public park on Magnolia Street, shops, restaurants, offices and affordable residences. The city acquired the High Street Theater last year and hired a manager to develop an attractive entertainment lineup geared to make the area a cultural center for Moorpark.

Merrie Jo Johnson, who owns the Old Town Breakfast and Bakery Restaurant across the street from the vacant warehouse, said she's looking forward to the proposed changes but cautions officials to use care in coming up with replacement options, she said.

Dale Whitaker, owner of Whitaker Hardware, agreed. "Something needs to be done there," he said. But the city must follow the proper process and look at the issues the removal will bring.

Noise, dust and surrounding property values need to be considered in the initial study, Whitaker said, and a complete environmental impact report should be conducted to be sure all concerns are addressed.