Santa Clara leaders are postponing a vote on a controversial affordable housing project until November, amid opposition from hundreds of residents. The Santa Clara City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to defer moving forward on a plan to build a five-story apartment building at 1601 Civic Center Drive. The project, managed by Charities Housing, would add...
Author: Natalie Hanson (Natalie Hanson)
Santa Clara redoing plan for El Camino Real
Santa Clara is going back to the drawing board again on an ambitious project to expand the city’s longest transit corridor—a complex transformation that has dragged on for years. The City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to have city workers revise a draft of the El Camino Real transit corridor proposal—a major road redesign that includes about...
Santa Clara mayor highlights budget, city growth in annual speech
As Santa Clara faces ongoing economic struggles exacerbated by the pandemic, the city’s mayor on Saturday presented a brighter vision for the future. During Mayor Lisa Gillmor’s first in-person State of the City address, she highlighted her administration’s approach to worsening local issues, such as homelessness. The city this past year has helped fund programs like...
Santa Clara officials say 49ers stadium tour was not a ‘gift’
Two Santa Clara officials are under investigation for allegedly accepting a gift from the San Francisco 49ers football team, which they say was an informational tour they took as part of their city leadership duties. Councilmembers Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal are accused of accepting a gift visit to the 49ers stadium, as the city...
Ousted Santa Clara commissioner ‘lied’ about residency
A Santa Clara planning commissioner has been fired after officials discovered he does not live in Santa Clara and falsely claimed to be a registered voter in the city. Ron Patrick served in one June meeting of the Santa Clara Planning Commission when his eligibility for the position was called into question. Councilmember Anthony Becker,...
Santa Clara expects increase in homeless residents
Santa Clara wants to address homelessness throughout the city, as officials expect the number of unhoused residents has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates and residents discussed the prevalence of homelessness in Santa Clara during a Tuesday meeting of the city’s eight-member homelessness task force, which launched at the end of April and meets monthly...
Night market invigorates East San Jose
An idea for an open air pop up market on Tully Road is reinvigorating an East San Jose community. The Tully Night Market, located by the Tully Road Ballfields and community library, has become a local food, art and music destination for residents on Wednesday nights. Councilmember Maya Esparza pushed for the idea as a way...
Looking to rent in Silicon Valley? Get in line
Silicon Valley remains one of the most sought after rental markets in California, despite being one of the most costly. In a new study by apartment search site RentCafe, Silicon Valley ranked 8 out of 11 top rental markets in the state. The study looked at the number of renters competing for an apartment, occupancy and vacancy...
Santa Clara official accused of living out of state
Questions are swirling about whether a Santa Clara elected official, who holds a critical role handling everything from city records to council meeting details, lives in the city he serves. Emails to councilmembers this week claim the city clerk, Hosam Haggag, now lives in Washington, and asked if elected officials are no longer required to live in...
Survey says San Jose #1 for millennials. Experts disagree.
A new survey claims San Jose is the top metropolitan area in the country for working millennials, but those in the know say that’s not the reality. Commercial Cafe’s study says San Jose’s metropolitan area, which includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, is the best region for millennials based on four of seven indicators. The four areas San...