HIGH HOPES FOR HIGH STREET : MOORPARK RESTAURATEUR EAGERLY AWAITS UNVEILING OF SPECIFIC PLAN.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Mark Bailey decided to open his restaurant on High Street as much for the neighborhood's ambience as for the possibilities he could see for the charming downtown street.

It didn't take long for Bailey - a former executive for a Texas-based pizza chain who moved to the city some two years ago - to recognize that his vision for the Red River Steak and Fish Restaurant that opened last month would fit right in.

Still, Bailey noted that the heart of the city's old town could be a more attractive place. So he is ``excited'' about the Moorpark Downtown Specific Plan, which is expected to get its first public airing tonight at a joint City Council-Planning Commission meeting.

``I've got my restaurant here, but that doesn't mean that there can't be more of an attraction,'' Bailey said. ``(The project) will be of benefit in that it will create more awareness and send more people to this area.

``Whatever they do that sends more people to High Street, that's wonderful,'' he said.

City officials have long wanted to recapture the days when downtown Moorpark was the city's main commercial district and now are looking to return the area to its pre-mall heyday.

The draft specific plan, prepared by San Luis Obispo-based RRM Design Group, is scheduled for discussion at the special meeting tonight at 7 p.m. inside the Moorpark Community Center, 799 Moorpark Ave.

The old town area is in the city's center and the specific plan, with High Street as its core, includes the residential neighborhood north of High Street, property extending south on Moorpark Avenue to Los Angeles Avenue, and the railroad right-of-way south of High Street. The goal is to create a lively area where people will get out of their cars and walk among shops and restaurants.

Significant land use and zoning changes, however, are needed to make the plan work.

``We're talking about an area much larger than High Street,'' Mayor Pat Hunter said. ``We are certainly interested in High Street, but we don't want to ignore other components of this study. This is an important thing to remember.''

Highlights of the plan include the following:

Creation of an Old Town commercial zone resulting in a special, mixed-use zone.

Creation of a landmark building designation to be applied to certain buildings with the aim of preserving and renovating the structures.

Zoning changes to allow new housing that would bring more residents closer to downtown.

Increasing the amount of senior housing near Magnolia and Charles streets.

Previous improvements to surrounding streets have set the stage for the downtown revitalization project, Hunter said.

In the past five years, the city has spent an estimated $3 million to rehabilitate roads, add sidewalks, and improve gutters and storm drains along Charles Street and Moorpark Avenue, Hunter said.

Those improvements, Hunter believes, have helped foster a ``pride of ownership'' among area homeowners that the mayor considers an important element in the overall revitalization of downtown Moorpark.

``Those improvements really provide the foundation for the improvements that come next,'' Hunter said. ``Without those infrastructure improvements, it becomes difficult to entice others, if you will, to invest in the downtown area.''

Although a relative newcomer, Bailey said he can see that the city is moving forward with the downtown revitalization. ``I feel confident that they are committed to doing something this time, and that can only benefit all of us down here.''

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Photo: (Ran in Simi edition only) Mark Bailey recently opened his Red River restaurant on High Street in Moorpark's historic town center.

Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News