| | Published February 26th, 2014
| Moraga's First Development Agreement Stumbles Over Pedestrian Bridge
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Map data Google maps, labeled by Lamorinda Weekly |
A potential new crosswalk on Moraga Road, in the vicinity of the Lamorinda Skatepark, is at the crux of a debate between Moraga's Planning Commission and Town Council. The proposed crosswalk would connect the Commons Park with a new passive park, via a pedestrian bridge that will be constructed by Summerhill Homes as part of the development agreement for acreage lying between Camino Ricardo and Moraga Road.
As part of its 26-home project, Summerhill Homes will create, and donate to the town, a 2.5-acre passive park located between Rancho Laguna Creek, where it flows along Moraga Road, and one of its tributaries - the new park would sit on a peninsula across from the skatepark. Pedestrian access to the park will require two bridges; one over the tributary and another over Rancho Laguna Creek itself to connect the new park to existing trails.
Where to bridge the creek is the question.
Summerhill Homes proposed to build the bridge on the project's northern edge, across from the skatepark. The Planning Commission, believing this would lead pedestrians to cross Moraga Road in an unsafe location, removed the bridge from the plan. At the request of staff, commissioners later consented to a bridge built further south in the hope that pedestrians would use the crosswalk at Moraga Road and St. Mary's Road.
But the Town Council decided on Feb. 10 that it would prefer to see the bridge built at its former northern location, along with a new crosswalk to the skatepark. Moraga's police chief, Bob Priebe, also supported the original plan. "A crosswalk by the skatepark makes a lot of sense," he said.
The town now needs to resolve an inconsistency. The project plan, as approved by the Planning Commission, includes a southern bridge; while the development agreement supported by the Town Council includes a northern bridge.
What's a council member to do? "You can approve this (the development agreement), and give direction back to the Planning Commission that your expectation is to have a bridge (in the northern part of the property)," Jill Keimach, the town manager, advised the Town Council. Town staff has strongly supported the northern bridge and crosswalk that would allow visitors to park their cars at the Commons, have a straight route to the proposed passive park and create a link from the new development, and the Sonsara and Corliss Drive neighborhoods, to the Commons and existing trails.
The development agreement defines other conditions that the developer agrees to satisfy in order to gain certainty regarding the rules and regulations applicable to the development over time. In addition to the park, the bridges and the crosswalk, Summerhill Homes will include an "outlook point" including a seating area; construct a sidewalk along Camino Ricardo in front of the development and continue it to Moraga Way; and designate Moraga as its point-of-sale for the construction material used in the project, meaning that the town will collect the applicable sales tax. Shawna Brekke-Read, the town's planning director, highlighted the fact that Summerhill Homes went beyond what the Moraga municipal code requires - according to current code the developer was obligated to dedicate only 0.265 acres of park land and to build a sidewalk only in front of the development.
Councilmember Dave Trotter tried nonetheless to convince his colleagues to drive a harder bargain with Summerhill Homes in negotiating the development agreement. He wanted the developer to pay for the second bridge and a portion of a third, more southern, access in the future; he also wanted Summerhill Homes to pay for the maintenance of the park. He was not met with much support - staff, advocacy groups and neighbors who have worked with this developer over the past two years have praised its exceptional community spirit and Keimach noted that asking Summerhill Homes to pay more could result in a diminution of the quality of the project.
The development agreement will come back to the Town Council for final approval Feb. 26. A date for the Planning Commission to re-examine the project has not yet been set.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA