Moraga council approves Saint Mary's campus master plan amendment for larger clubhouse

The Moraga Town Council unanimously approved a resolution May 14 adopting an addendum to the 2016 Saint Mary’s College Campus Master Plan environmental impact report and amending the college’s master plan to allow a larger, relocated stadium clubhouse.

The change moves a previously approved 5,000-square-foot two‑story clubhouse from the scoreboard end of the athletic field to the east side, around the midpoint near the entrance to the Redwood Grove, and increases the building footprint to about 9,785 square feet to accommodate separate men’s and women’s locker rooms and an upstairs banquet/meeting room.

Planning Director Sonia Azula told the council that the town prepared an addendum to the original EIR and found “no substantial new evidence, no more severe or significant environmental impacts and no new mitigations were required,” while noting nine of the plan’s original mitigations were revised to reflect the reconfigured clubhouse. Azula said the Planning Commission approved associated design review and grading permits without appeal.

Representatives of Saint Mary’s College described the facility as primarily a game‑day building for student athletes. Mike Madoso, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said the larger size was necessary “because I was not going to build a building without separate locker rooms for men and women,” and emphasized the clubhouse “is gonna be a day use facility for game days.” Cedro Diaz, vice president of facilities, and architect Susan Boots answered council questions about location, sightlines and public access.

Residents at the hearing raised concerns about potential increases in evening events, amplified sound and light spill. Several speakers who live on the Bluffs and in Bollinger Canyon said they could already hear game announcements and music and worried that expanded evening activity could worsen noise at night. David Gow and Kyle Hickey submitted written testimony and urged the council to delay or re-evaluate the project citing sound study gaps.

College officials said the stadium lighting had already been analyzed and approved and that the new lighting would use hooded, modern fixtures they expect will reduce off‑site spill compared with older fixtures. The college also said the clubhouse’s restrooms would replace current porta‑potties used during events and that the facility would be available for some community events under standard facility rental rules.

Council members said the matter before them was only the master plan amendment — size and location of the clubhouse — and that lighting and operational noise remain subject to the town’s ordinances and separate permits. After questioning staff and the applicant, the council adopted the resolution approving the EIR addendum and the GP0123 amendment by unanimous vote.

The council’s approval allows the college to proceed with the amended master plan for the clubhouse; the college must still comply with required mitigation monitoring and any conditions attached to design review, building permits and ongoing noise controls.

The council asked staff to continue enforcing the town’s noise standards and to monitor compliance if residents file complaints, and council members encouraged continued dialogue between the college and neighbors.

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Sources: Staff presentation by Sonia Azula, Planning Director; testimony and presentation from Saint Mary’s College representatives Mike Madoso and Cedro Diaz; public hearing record.