Committee approves land‑swap ordinance to avoid development on steep Edge Hill slopes

The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Feb. 2 voted 3–0 to amend and forward an ordinance that would order a summary street vacation of unimproved city property on portions of Moraga and Noriega Avenues, reserve easements for a city retaining wall, and rezone parcels to permit a land swap with Kensington Way properties intended to avoid building on steep, landslide‑prone sections of Edge Hill.

Chair Melgar described the action as the outcome of a years‑long process in District 7 to find comparable city‑owned land that could be swapped so the private owner could develop housing in a safer location while preserving the city’s open space and protecting slope stability. “We are doing a swap of land between privately owned land and land that is currently owned by the city and county…