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An iconic pizza shop favored by San Jose politicos and downtown residents alike is going under. The co-founders of 4th Street Pizza Co. told San José Spotlight they have to close their 16-year-old business by October when their lease expires. The developer who purchased the building before the pandemic, Bayview Development Company, is going to...
County commission rejects plan to demolish old San Jose City Hall
A proposal to demolish San Jose’s former City Hall has encountered resistance from a county commission and local preservationists. The Santa Clara County Historical Heritage Commission voted unanimously last week against an application to demolish the old City Hall at 801 N. 1st St. The recommendation will be referred to the Board of Supervisors, which will make...
Investigation into Silicon Valley water director trudges along
Valley Water’s board of directors promised to investigate its chairman for possible misconduct, but three months later the public is mostly in the dark. Board members are meeting next Tuesday to receive an update on an investigation they approved in March. The target of the inquiry is board member Gary Kremen and whether he violated...
Santa Clara County officials request state audit of VTA
A California legislator fighting to change VTA’s leadership is shifting tactics in the wake of public pushback. Assemblymember Marc Berman announced Monday he is not advancing Assembly Bill 2181 this year, which would eliminate VTA’s board of directors on or after July 2023 and shrink the board from 18 to 12 members, at least six...
Silicon Valley candidate allegedly lied about law enforcement experience
A local business owner has been accused of lying about her credentials to run for Santa Clara County sheriff, and the findings are troubling. Last week, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced a perjury charge against Anh Colton, who came in last out of four other candidates in the primary election for sheriff...
Reader Panel: Few surprises, ample disappointment in San Jose primary
San Jose voters are hardly shocked by the results of the June 7 primary election, and they hold strong—and mostly bitter—feelings about the two candidates battling it out for mayor. Residents who spoke with San José Spotlight said there were few surprise results in the Santa Clara County races they voted on last week, which included...
Santa Clara County officials approve budget over jail objections
Santa Clara County officials approved the budget for the coming year, ignoring last-minute objections from residents over hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for a new jail. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to approve the $11.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2022-23, which starts July 1. The majority of the county’s expenditures go...
San Jose councilmembers want to cut parking requirements
San Jose officials are green lighting a plan to reduce parking in new developments, but some are concerned about how it’ll impact residents. San Jose councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to create a policy to eliminate the city’s minimum parking requirements for new developments. The policy would incentivize alternative modes of transportation, like biking and public transit. The...
San Jose officials memorialize former Mayor Norm Mineta
“Welcome home, Norm,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said as friends and family of Norm Mineta, former U.S. secretary of transportation and the city’s first Asian American mayor, gathered Wednesday at City Hall to celebrate and memorialize his life. Mineta died on May 3. Mineta is a local legend known for his advocacy during the September...
San Jose officials squash airport billboard proposal
San Jose officials have nixed a proposal to build a digital billboard near the airport, marking a victory for activists fighting the expansion of billboards around the city. Director of Aviation John Aitken said the site for a proposed billboard on I-880 near Mineta San Jose International Airport was “not a viable location.” In a letter sent...