MORAGA CANYON SPECIFIC PLAN

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the City preparing to build housing in Moraga Canyon?

New housing construction is the number one goal of Piedmont’s Housing Element for the next eight years. Moraga Canyon, portions of which are undeveloped City-owned property and underutilized, was identified as a key location in the Housing Element to move towards the goal of increasing housing production, increasing affordable housing, and improving City facilities and infrastructure.

 What are the benefits of building new housing in Piedmont? Why is it the number one goal of the Housing Element?

One reason housing costs so much in California, and especially in the Bay Area and Piedmont, is that demand is much greater than supply. Adding housing in Piedmont should make more housing available and affordable to young families, and to the people who work in town at the schools, at City Hall, and at local businesses. This will benefit people who grew up in Piedmont and want to raise their families here. And it will benefit ageing residents who want a small house or apartment that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.

 A housing stock that is available to families of diverse incomes will also make our community more inclusive, which will lead to opportunities for community members across a wide spectrum of backgrounds and support Piedmont’s local workforce. Piedmont community members can embrace growth by participating in the community meetings related to programs to implement the Housing Element, such as preparation of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan and by supporting the development of new housing in their neighborhoods.

How is the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan related to the City’s Housing Element?

 The Moraga Canyon Specific Plan is one of the 77 housing programs of the Piedmont 6th Cycle Housing Element, adopted on March 20, 2023 by the City Council. Program 1.L, starting on page 46, of the Housing Element, forms the basis of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan study. Program 1.L establishes goals, the geographic area, and the timeline for the Specific Plan study.

What are the four Specific Plan Element Options? How will they be used?

 The study has created four different Moraga Canyon Specific Plan options, that show different alternatives for land use, including the placement of housing, recreational facilities, the Corporation Yard, and City amenities. We are asking community members to provide feedback on the individual elements of each option, rather than choosing one option over another. The final decision on how to plan for land use in Moraga Canyon will likely pull features from several of the options together into a preferred plan.

How will the plan incorporate different types of housing?

 The four different Moraga Canyon Specific Plan options show different ways high-density housing and single-family homes could be arranged in the Moraga Canyon area. Community members have expressed a strong preference for making sure that market-rate and affordable housing are combined in a meaningful way. That feedback will be considered and incorporated to the extent feasible.

Why are single-family homes included in the plan? Could townhomes fit in that space? Alternatively, are there other locations where the single-family homes could be placed?

 Each option includes the potential for two single-family home sites that utilize undeveloped areas adjacent to the existing single-family homes in the Maxwelton-Abbott-Echo-Nellie neighborhood. The purpose of the proposed single-family home sites is to generate possible revenue to help pay for development costs of the overall project. Additionally, the property taxes generated from those homes could, along with property taxes from the market-rate housing, help to pay for a continuation of City services at the same level of service as today, once the additional housing is complete.

How will development in Moraga Canyon improve traffic flow and pedestrian and cyclists safety?

Potential transportation impacts and possible mitigations are being studied as part of the preparation of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan. All of the land use alternatives include pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements, including a new crosswalk, extended sidewalks on the north and south sides of Moraga Avenue, and an extended Class II bike lane on the north side of Moraga.

How will development in Moraga Canyon affect my ability to evacuate from Piedmont during an emergency?

Emergency evacuation is a critical concern to be addressed during the preparation of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan. City emergency personnel and City consulting traffic engineers are exploring ways to improve evacuation in the event of a wildfire or other disaster.

How will the City continue to build housing the next time it is mandated to do so, if this is the “last site” available?

It is difficult to predict what the City’s housing goals will be for 2031-2039, which is the next Housing Element cycle. It is possible that the City will have had even greater successes implementing housing programs such as increased density in the Commercial and Mixed-Use Zone (Zone D), increased development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), SB 9 development, and development of land owned by religious institutions, as well as the other strategies in the Piedmont 6th Cycle Housing Element. Successes from these housing programs could allow the City to rely on these strategies to increase housing production to meet the next Housing Element’s housing goals.