High Street grain station silos bite the dust
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers OUT WITH THE OLD- Ted Farina of Standard Industries uses machinery to flatten the four silos next to the old Moorpark grain platform on High Street on Thursday. The silos were then rolled up and dumped into a truck for recycling. According to Farina, the city wanted to remove the silos because vandals climbed onto them to spray-paint graffiti, and transients had been living in them.

The four silos towering above the south side of High Street for three decades were knocked down last week to make way for redevelopment in Old Town Moorpark.

The silos were used to load soybeans and other dry agricultural goods onto trains and they've been vacant for years, said city officials.

"They were caving in at the bottom so it was only a matter of time before they would collapse," said Councilmember Janice Parvin. Graffiti, pest and homeless occupancy also caused concerns to officials.

The Moorpark Redevelopment Agency purchased the south side of High Street from Moorpark Avenue to the Metrolink station in the mid-1990s.

The facade will also be demolished. According to David Moe, Redevelopment Agency manager, another developer, who plans to build a commercial center that will include an interior design store, a coffee shop or restaurant and possibly a book store east of the train station on the site where the old fueling station is now located, will recreate the facade on his property.

That project is still in the planning phases, Moe said, indicating arrangements were already made to relocate the fueling station.

"The silos served their purpose. They're from another time when this was a heavily agricultural and farming community," said John Newton, a local realtor and land use consultant who has served on several committees, helping to make plans for the city's future and to develop a long-term vision for Moorpark.

Newton said he looks forward to seeing downtown Moorpark revitalized into a pedestrian- friendly destination featuring specialty shops, restaurants and professional offices. The area could be a regional attraction as people can come by train to spend the day in Old Town Moorpark, he said.

That vision may develop into reality if negotiation between the city and San Fernando Valleybased Aszkenazy Development prevail.

Aszkenazy, who is experienced with redevelopment projects, proposed building a 50,000-square-foot commercial venue featuring a twostory retail structure that matches the historical context of High Street.

The city and the developer have been negotiating for the land and a development agreement for about three years.

The proposal was slated for City Council review in October, but it was delayed by a law that requires commercial developments benefiting from public funds to pay prevailing wages to workers, said Moe.

State Bill 975, passed in 2001, forces redevelopment agencies to comply with the rules that already existed for cities.

The prevailing wage law would be triggered if the city sells the land to Aszkenazy below market rate or if city fees are waived.

Any agency or city provided incentives would raise the cost of the project by 15 to 20 percent or about $4 million because nonunion workers would get union rates.

"SB975 has been the biggest hang up," said Moe. If the developer had to pay union wage, it would make the project too expensive and thus unfeasible, said Moe, indicating negotiations are ongoing but nothing is finalized.

Redevelopment on the south side of High Street will also affect Maria's Restaurant and a thrift shop located on the cityowned property where the project is slated.

The restaurant owners indicated they want to stay in Moorpark, so the city will try to help them stay on High Street, said Moe.

Since 1989, the agency has spent $22 million toward redevelopment and improvements in the downtown area. Projects have included a new park that was recently built on Magnolia Street and the Police Services Center which houses the Moorpark Police, Ventura County Sheriff 's Department and the California Highway Patrol.

The city also purchased the old theater and is working to create affordable housing in the area. A human services center and a new city hall are also slated for the downtown area.

Calls to Aszkenazy to obtain comments were not returned by publication deadline.