Moraga's First Parks Master Plan in 15 Years Faces Pivotal Test on Costs

Moraga's Town Council and Parks and Recreation Commission convened a joint special session to review a sweeping draft Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan — the town's first comprehensive parks blueprint in roughly 15 years. Consultants presented ambitious proposals spanning a three-prong community center strategy, site-specific park upgrades, new trails, and a controversial sports field, but council members made clear the plan's fate hinges on a still-unwritten implementation chapter with real cost estimates and staffing analysis.

• Three-prong strategy targets Moraga's decades-long indoor recreation gap — partnering with St. Mary's College, expanding the Hacienda de las Flores, and building a new 10,000-to-12,000-square-foot town-owned community center
• Proposed multi-use field in the Moraga Commons "back 40" threatens one of the world's earliest disc golf courses, drawing objections from the disc golf community and multiple council members
• Former mayor and EBRPD director warns proposed Mulholland Ridge trails cross federal conservation easements not referenced in the draft plan
• Council members demand actionable priorities, realistic costs, and timelines before the plan returns Oct. 12 to the commission and Nov. 18 to the council
• Mayor pushes town ownership over partnerships, warning that reliance on institutions like St. Mary's College leaves the town vulnerable if partner priorities change