For almost 30 years, four large, yellow silos stood along the railroad tracks in downtown Moorpark. This week, the last of the silos were hauled off by the construction company hired by the city to remove them.

For some, it was a little piece of history taken from the city. But city officials say their removal was a safety decision, and part of a larger plan to revitalize the downtown area.

Moorpark City Councilwoman Roseann Mikos said the city's Redevelopment Agency also has plans to remove the vacant agricultural warehouse adjacent to the silos. The agency is working with a developer for other uses for the site at 192 High St.

"It will definitely be one of the centerpieces of High Street," Mikos said.

Moorpark resident Vanessa Parkins, who has lived in the city for 15 years, said she was sad to see the silos go, even though she admitted she never knew what they were used for.

"It was a familiar site for the city for so long, so it's sad to see a part of Moorpark history disappear," Parkins said.

According to city historians, the silos and the agricultural warehouse were part of the facility that S & K Ranch used in the 1970s to make grain that fed the chickens at Egg City in Moorpark. Railroad cars dropped ingredients for the chicken feed into the chutes to the silos, where it was mixed and stored before being transported to the chickens.

The city bought the property in 1994 for redevelopment.

Debi Ryono, president of the Moorpark Historical Society, said many residents mistake the feed facility as the original train depot for Moorpark. A faade was erected in front to make it look like an old Southern Pacific Railroad depot. It was even painted the signature yellow to mimic the old railroad depots in the area.

The original depot was built in the early 1900s and was destroyed by fire in 1910. Another train depot was built, but it was demolished in the 1960s. A Metrolink station is east of where the old depot sat near High Street and Moorpark Avenue.

The silos became a safety concern for city officials because taggers were climbing up the structures to cover them with graffiti.

"People in the city are wondering why we now want to tear down this building, but we toured the site, and it was pretty dilapidated and dangerous," said Mikos, who serves on the Redevelopment Agency. Mikos said the facility was filled with debris and trash from homeless people staying at the site. The walls were falling down and the place was infested with rats, she said.

Mikos said the city is working with a developer on possible plans for a retail center and restaurants at the site. Talks are expected to resume at the end of year.

In the meantime, the rest of the old feed facility will remain intact until a use is determined.

"It was a concern for some business owners on High Street because the building right now serves as a sound barrier to the train noise," she said. "The main thing is that what we build there maintains the old-town feel and character of the High Street area.

"We definitely encourage residents to give us input on what they would like to see at the site."