City Council Study Session: Moraga Canyon Specific Plan
Monday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
Piedmont Community Hall, 711 Highland Avenue
Agenda | Staff Report
The original scope of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan set an ambitious agenda, identifying 12 distinct goals for the specific plan effort – ranging from safety improvements to recreational facility upgrades to a new, modernized Corporation Yard – all while incorporating 132 units of new housing, 60 of which would be reserved for
households earning lower incomes.
After months of work to understand existing conditions, site constraints, and community priorities for Moraga Canyon, the project team created four potential development scenarios showing how these goals might be accomplished. Each scenario includes different tradeoffs related to priorities and amenities.
At the study session, the Council will receive information on site conditions, community engagement, the four concept plans, and fiscal and feasibility studies and will begin a discussion to identify priorities that will inform a draft specific plan. The discussion is expected to focus on:
• feasibility and fiscal impacts of each scenario
• which potential site improvements are most important to include
• what amenities (soccer field, skate spot, scenic trails) are essential to include
The final concept plan selected by the City Council will most likely be a hybrid of the four options, combining features from multiple scenarios. Formal action to identify priorities is tentatively scheduled for a special City Council meeting on Feb. 26, 2024.
Community members are encouraged to attend and provide comment at the Jan. 22 study session in-person at Community Hall. Each participant will have the opportunity to speak once after the presentation and before the discussion.
Moraga Canyon Specific Plan is a cornerstone of Piedmont’s Housing Element
The Moraga Canyon Specific Plan is only one of over 70 programs called for in Piedmont’s 6th Cycle Housing Element – an ambitious plan for how the City can accommodate 587 new homes by 2031. This specific plan initiative is studying all City- owned land in the Moraga Canyon area, with the goal of creating a detailed plan for how to:
• Incorporate 132 units of new housing, 60 of which would be reserved for households earning lower incomes
• Maintain and improve existing City facilities, open space, and recreational amenities in the area
• Improve bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety
• Enhance wildfire safety and evacuation routes
Work on the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan began in summer 2023, with a deep dive into existing conditions in the plan area. The project team closely studied site topography, hydrology, utilities, environmental hazards, traffic patterns, and more to create a comprehensive picture of opportunities and constraints to development.
Simultaneously, the team gathered ideas and perspectives from stakeholders to better understand how Moraga Canyon is used today and what will be necessary to support existing functions in any future development. The team has sought input from residents in the Moraga Canyon area, local market-rate and affordable housing developers,
athletic organizations, all City departments, the City’s Park Commission, Recreation Commission, and Planning Commission, and the community at-large, all of which was instrumental in creating the potential development concepts that the Council is now beginning the process of refining into a final scenario.
Learn more about Piedmont’s Housing Element and the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan at PiedmontIsHome.org. Sign up for the Moraga Canyon project email list to stay informed about future engagement opportunities. With questions, email PiedmontIsHome@piedmont.ca.gov.