Commissioners review Moraga Canyon plan chapter on architecture as residents press for site clarity and bird‑safe glazing

The Piedmont Planning Commission on Aug. 12 heard a detailed presentation of chapter 7 of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan, the planning document that will guide future development in Moraga Canyon. Consultant Drew Watkins told the commission the specific plan aims to accommodate between 132 and 199 new housing units — about 34% of the city's RHNA allocation — with 60 units reserved for lower‑income households and supporting circulation and open‑space improvements.

Watkins described the plan's ten chapters and focused on three proposed architectural styles — Mediterranean, canyon contemporary and suburban traditional — and the objective design standards that would apply to roofs, walls and windows, materials and decorative details. "We want these architectural design styles to create standards that these projects need to follow," he said, explaining that the plan anticipates 4–6 story multifamily buildings and includes multimodal circulation changes such as a new intersection at Moraga and Red Rock Road.

Commissioners pressed the consultant on technical elements of the design standards, including how scale and massing are controlled (the building design chapter), the treatment of eaves and rafter tails in Mediterranean examples, whether arches are specified, and the role of optional versus required elements. Commissioner questions led Watkins to agree to clarify the rafter/eave language and to make the treatment of arches more explicit.

Members of the public raised two recurring concerns. Ralph Catalano asked why the commission had not been informed about which side of Moraga Avenue would host housing and called the process "opaque." Marjorie Blackwell and others reiterated a separate concern about birds striking large panes of glazing; Blackwell said, "The glazing, I think, is critical particularly in that area where there is so much wildlife." Staff later clarified the council had directed staff to pursue two of four earlier concepts and that the specific plan will include two site options: housing on the south side of Moraga Avenue or on the north side at the corporation yard/skate park site.

Architectural historian Irene Chang urged the commission to balance stylistic guidance with feasibility for affordable housing. "One of the factors is overregulation and the enormous amount of codes and regulations that we pile on to construction," she said, arguing planners should consult affordable‑housing developers about which requirements affect project viability.

Staff described next steps as polishing the draft, adding performance details such as potential bird‑safe glazing requirements, and posting the complete draft specific plan for public review this fall. The item was a study session only; no action was requested or taken.