Community Corner

The Only Spot That Is Truly Lamorinda

A hillside just below the southern edge of the Reservoir Rim Trail is the only place where Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda come together

It's a typical grassy hillside in the Lamorinda area.

The gentle slope sits just above some homes along Rheem Boulevard and just below the southern edge of the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail near the East Bay Municipal Utility District water tank.

But near the top of the hill sits the only place where the city limits of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda come together.

The point is along the southern edge of Lafayette where the city boundary cuts straight across the hill.

The eastern edge of Orinda and the western edge of Moraga run together up to the Lafayette border at this particular juncture, hitting the Lafayette line at a perpendicular angle.

There's no marker or sign denoting the spot. There are barbed wire fences that appear to run along the three cities' borders and meet at what appears to be the tri-city junction.

Lafayette City Manager Steven Falk said there have been jokes in the past about having the three city councils meet around the spot, each in their own jurisdictions.

Under the state's Brown Act, a city council can take official action only within its city limits.

For the record, the U.S. Census estimates that Lafayette has 23,893 residents and is 15.4 square miles in size.

Moraga has 16,016 residents and is 9.5 square miles.

Orinda has 17,600 residents and is 12.8 square miles.





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