Commercial Real Estate in Moraga: Rheem Park, the Moraga Center Specific Plan and Town Zoning

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Moraga has two commercial centers. Rheem Park sits at Moraga Road and Rheem Boulevard in the north. The Moraga Center area sits around Moraga Way, School Street and the Moraga Shopping Center in the south. Between and around them are hills, open space and homes, so commercial land is scarce and tightly zoned. Confirm the district, the specific plan rules and the permit path for each parcel with the Town of Moraga Planning Department.

Who controls the parcel

Moraga is an incorporated town. It zones land under Title 8, Planning and Zoning, of its municipal code. Commercial land falls into several groups:

• Townwide districts. Community Commercial and Limited Commercial.
• Moraga Center Specific Plan districts. MCSP-C, MCSP Mixed Retail/Residential and MCSP Mixed Office/Residential.
• Rheem Park districts. Mixed Commercial Residential (RMCR) and Mixed Office Residential (RMOR).
• Planned development. PD-C and the Moraga Ranch overlay, which round out the list.

Several townwide rules reach almost every commercial site:

• Scenic corridors. Moraga Road, Moraga Way and other major roads are scenic corridors under Chapter 8.132. Projects on them must meet added setback and step-back rules.
• Hillside and ridgeline limits. Hillside development and ridgeline protection chapters restrict grading and building on slopes.
• Fire hazard rules. A separate fire hazard area chapter applies.
• Open space. Land in MOSO open space districts, under the voter-approved Moraga Open Space Ordinance, is very hard to rezone.

Moraga zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

Moraga has no industrial district. Outdoor building materials sales and contractor uses need a conditional use permit in RMCR, and self-storage needs one in Limited Commercial. A buyer looking for industrial or flex space will generally need to look in Concord, Martinez or Pittsburg.

Rheem Park and the Moraga Center plan area

Rheem Park. The RMCR district was adopted by Ordinance 307 in February 2023 and amended by Ordinance 316 in June 2025. It envisions a walkable district with active ground floors. These uses are allowed by right:

• Offices, banks, hotels and restaurants other than bars and drive-throughs
• Personal and professional services
• Housing at 12 to 24 units per acre, at the owner’s choice within that range

Ground floors facing Center Street or Park Street must hold retail, dining, services or active residential amenities such as a lobby or gym. Ground floors on Moraga Road and Rheem Boulevard may be commercial but do not have to be. Chapter 8.210 adds objective design standards for Rheem Park.

Moraga Center. Two districts carry the Moraga Center Specific Plan into the code:

• MCSP-C allows offices, retail, banks, hotels and restaurants by right, plus assembly and theater uses under 5,000 sq ft. Auto repair, big box retail, drive-through banks and pharmacies, bars, and medical or urgent care need a conditional use permit. Buildings are capped at 35 feet, two stories, 0.60 FAR and 60% coverage.
• MU-RR puts retail or similar uses on the first floor with housing above. All ground floors facing School Street must hold an active use. It allows 45 feet and three stories.

Buildings on a major scenic corridor in the plan area must also meet the setback and step-back rules in Section 8.200.050.

Local rules that shape a deal

Mixed use outside the plan areas. In Community Commercial and Limited Commercial, a project combining housing with commercial or office use needs a planned development rezoning to PD-C. That is a legislative approval, not a staff permit, so plan for time and a Town Council vote.

Restaurants and bars. Bars, nightclubs, lounges and drive-in restaurants need a conditional use permit in every commercial district reviewed. In Limited Commercial, restaurants with outdoor seating also need one.

Use permit uses. In Community Commercial, the town requires a CUP for hotels, big box retail, convenience and liquor stores, live entertainment, auto repair, tobacco stores and payday lenders. Limited Commercial adds firearm stores, adult businesses and secondhand sales to that list. The Planning Commission reviews them for compatibility with nearby homes, including night noise of 50 dBA measured inside the nearest sensitive receptor.

Cannabis. Chapter 8.160, adopted by Ordinance 267 in April 2017, bans medical and adult-use cannabis businesses in every district. It also bars leasing property to them and bans most delivery, except by a primary caregiver to a patient. A landlord should not accept a cannabis tenant.

Front setbacks. Community Commercial requires 50-foot front and street-side setbacks, and Limited Commercial 25 feet. The Planning Commission can adjust them through design review or a CUP. Redevelopment of an older strip center may still be limited to its existing footprint.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder collects the county documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500. Moraga’s Chapter 3.08 imposes a town tax of $0.275 per $500, which the County Recorder administers. The Recorder lists added city taxes only for Richmond and El Cerrito, so the town share appears to be credited within the county total. Confirm with escrow. Business licenses are in Title 5, and we did not verify their rates. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in Moraga

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

• Confirm the district and whether the Moraga Center or Rheem Park rules apply.
• Check scenic corridor, hillside, ridgeline and fire hazard rules on the parcel.
• For ground-floor space on Center Street, Park Street or School Street, confirm the active-use requirement.
• If you plan housing in Community or Limited Commercial, budget for a PD-C rezoning.
• Rule out cannabis tenants, which the town bans outright.
• Confirm parking under Chapter 8.76 before you change a use.

Questions people ask

Sources & notes

1. Moraga Municipal Code Title 8, Planning and Zoning (GoCodebook, October 2026 edition): 8.36, 8.37, 8.38, 8.40, 8.41, 8.160
2. Moraga Chapter 3.08, Documentary Transfer Tax
3. Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax

Note: RMOR, MU-OR, PD-C, the Moraga Ranch overlay, Section 8.200.050 and business license rates were not reviewed. District locations are described from street references in the code, not from the zoning map.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

Related: Moraga real estate guide · Multifamily property in Moraga · Commercial real estate services