Confusion over Hetfield Appeal

Moraga Town Council members Dave Trotter and Mike Metcalf recently appealed a Planning Commission decision to approve the general plan for the Hetfield Estates -seven homes to be built on a 58-acre open space parcel alongside a new road extending out from Hetfield Place. The Town Council held a lengthy discussion of the appeal at its April 23 meeting

Planning commissioners determined in March that a dirt Emergency Vehicle Access road that would connect the new development to the back of Sanders Ranch was not desirable and opted instead for a pedestrian trail - this formed the basis for the appeal. Metcalf also indicated a concern over the limited amount of additional parking spaces.

In the end, the Town Council reduced, rather than increased, the total number of parking spaces and Sanders Ranch residents were given 10 years to decide if they want an EVA.

Confusion about what type of vehicle could navigate the proposed EVA and how much it would cost, and who would pay for it, was evident at the council meeting. Moraga-Orinda Fire District fire marshal Kathy Leonard explained that an ambulance would not use an emergency route to reach Sanders Ranch unless it was paved and noted that a dirt road would accommodate only four-wheel drive vehicles, which could carry emergency response personnel and apparatus but would not be able to take someone out of the property. Leonard added that because Sanders Ranch is not a high fire danger zone the real issue is the medical response time.

John Wyro, the developer of the Hetfield Estates property, explained that the condition of approval never required more than building a dirt road that would go from the development to the property limit at the back of Sanders Ranch. The cost to construct a paved road would fall on the owners of the 273 Sanders Ranch homes, an expense that some Sanders Ranch residents who attended the meeting found useless. "No way for anything paved," said Brent Mayer. Stan Roth, who sits on the board of the Sanders Ranch Homeowners Association, nuanced, "We just want to preserve our ability, in the future, to do what is best for (Sanders Ranch)."

The Town Council agreed that the developer should not construct the dirt EVA immediately but that he will set aside funds for 10 years to allow ample time for Sanders Ranch homeowners to gather information and reach a decision as to whether or not they want an emergency access route built.

To mitigate a potential attractive nuisance - a hangout spot for teenagers that might be created by a four-car parking area at the end of the new road - the Town Council accepted Wyro's suggestion that the number of parking spaces at the road's end be reduced to three and moved closer to the homes, leaving the development with a total of six parking spots.

As the clock struck 11 p.m., council members had not reached a decision regarding what will happen to the developer's money if Sanders Ranch residents decide that they don't want to build an EVA. Because of the late hour and other topics to discuss, the final decision was postponed until the Town Council's May 24 meeting.



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