Heavy rain and powerful wind raged through San Jose over the weekend, affecting the most vulnerable communities. Luckily, the worst of the weather is behind us, officials say. The recent atmospheric river storm resulted in broken trees that blocked roads, fell on homes and damaged cars. Approximately 700,000 people lost power throughout the Bay Area,...
Housing
Housing
San Jose residents say no to Costco
For three years West San Jose residents have been fighting the city over construction of a Costco in their neighborhood, especially when there are four others just minutes away. The dustup over Westgate West Costco has been ongoing since 2021, when residents began rebelling over the idea. The issues remain unchanged, with concerns about increased...
Cupertino seniors jump into affordable housing lottery
Cupertino’s latest mixed-use, affordable housing project is almost ready to open its doors. The Westport Senior Apartments will add 267 homes to Cupertino’s inventory. The development, on roughly eight acres at 21267 Stevens Creek Blvd., will be a mix of 48 below-market-rate apartments and 131 market-rate apartments for residents 62 and older and 88 townhomes...
San Jose housing plan certified by state a year past deadline
Tardy by one year, San Jose’s housing plan for the coming years gained a stamp of approval from state officials this week. After the city failed to get certification on an initial version of the housing element in June 2023 — already six months past a state deadline — San Jose officials sent a revised version...
Deal falls through at former San Jose Safeway
An empty commercial space in downtown San Jose where a Safeway was previously located is still vacant nearly five years later, after an oral wellness company backed out of a deal to move there last summer. Downtown advocates and residents remain hopeful another grocery store can fill the space, but officials say that could still...
UPDATE: San Jose one step closer to banning homeless RVs near schools
Policymakers in the Bay Area’s largest city on Tuesday agreed to ban homeless people from camping near schools, despite pleas from advocates and concerns from City Hall about how to carry it out. City councilmembers voted unanimously to draft a policy allowing police to tow vehicles parked within 150 feet of K-12 campuses, despite city...
Formerly homeless veterans in San Jose live in squalor
For years, homeless veterans housed at an emergency facility in San Jose have lived with bed bugs, black mildew, fire hazards and a lack of warm water — and they’re relying on outdated evacuation plans, disconnected fire sprinklers and unsafe electrical systems. These are the conditions described in a Santa Clara County inspection report for...
Los Gatos struggles to get its housing plan approved
Los Gatos is expected to submit the fourth revision of its housing plan in the next few weeks outlining how it will accommodate 1,993 new homes by 2031. The town is one of many Bay Area municipalities that’s out of compliance with state goals for affordable housing. Los Gatos missed the Jan. 31, 2023 deadline...
Campbell breaks ground on new police station
The Campbell Police Department will soon move out of its small, decades-old location into a new 21st century building. The department on Thursday broke ground on its new 24,000-square-foot operation center, which is set to open in 2025. The building will be funded in part by Measure O, a $50 million general obligation bond passed...
Angelou’s in downtown San Jose reopening on First Street
Fans of hearty burritos and saucy enchiladas may have felt a pang of absence when Angelou’s Mexican Grill closed its doors at 21 N. Second St. in downtown San Jose at the end of 2023. But devotees of the San Jose institution can take comfort knowing Angelou’s is set to resume slinging Cali burritos, carne...