| | Published March 13th, 2013
| New Planning Commissioners Appointed
| | By Sophie Braccini | | |
The Moraga Planning Commission is a seven-member volunteer body appointed by the town council. On March 6 an unusual number of new faces joined the commission that will have to review many plans in the coming years, including new developments along Moraga Road and Moraga Way, the Hetfield development, the Rancho Laguna development along Rheem Boulevard, and projects in the Moraga Center Specific plan area.
Sitting commissioners include chair Stacia Levenfeld, Christine Kuckuk and Jim Kline; Levenfeld was just reappointed by the council even though she has already completed three two-year terms. The four new commissioners are Frank Comprelli, Tom Marnane, Teresa Onoda and Nancy Schoenbrunner.
Comprelli is not really new to the job. He was a planning commissioner from 1987 to 1991 and since then the retired engineer has attended numerous planning and town meetings whenever he found an agenda item interesting. "I am interested in the town and how it works," he said. "I thought it would be constructive and helpful to serve for the next few years."
Marnane also has a lot of planning experience. He was in charge of planning for the former military base in Alameda, marine transportation for northern California, and was part of the Bay Planning Coalition in San Francisco. He is the chair of the Moraga Citizens Network. "I've always done something in the communities where I've lived," he said. "It was time to do it here."
Onoda is a painter who has a passion for the Moraga landscape. Her planning experience comes from years with Friends of Lamorinda Open Space and following all the major developments in town. She left FLOS when she applied for the planning position. "I wanted to be more involved in the town, it is such an honor," she said. "I love to have my brain stretch in a different way and I hope to be useful."
Schoenbrunner is the director of chemistry and innovation technologies at Roche Molecular Systems.
"I think that this group is terrific and very diverse," said Marnane. "We are going to be very productive."
The list of projects is impressive and now includes the Bollinger Valley development (see sidebar)-the Environmental Impact report is a 3-inch thick document that is going to require a lot of work by all of the commissioners, whether new or
Draft EIR for Bollinger Valley Released
The Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Bollinger Valley property is now available for viewing and public comments until April 8. This project encompasses 186 acres of land located in the most eastern part of Moraga, past the Bluffs. The land's present zoning is "study area."
The project would transform the lot into two portions: 92 acres would be developed with 126 homes on lots ranging from one-third to one acre each; 94 acres would become open space.
The EIR studies five different scenarios, their impacts and mitigation measures. The document is available on the town's website, www.moraga.ca.us, and at the Moraga Planning Department, 329 Rheem Blvd.
The planning commission is currently scheduled to start study sessions April 1, although that date could change to accommodate the school district's spring break, and make recommendations that will translate into modifications and new plans. For a project of this size, the process of changing the zoning and authorizing a potential development could take years.
S. Braccini.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA