“Amazon-style” warehouses won’t be in the future of San Jose’s Coyote Valley for now, as the city plans to preserve 314 acres of green space, marking a victory for local environmentalists. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rezone portions of the valley south of the city from industrial use to agricultural and...
Environment
Environment
San Jose residents demand better care of Tamien Park
After more than three decades fighting for a public park, residents in a struggling San Jose neighborhood got one. But three weeks later, the grass withered and turned brown. The Tamien Park Soccer Field opened in early June in the city’s low-income Guadalupe-Washington neighborhood. Just three weeks later, the park had fallen into a state...
Electric leaf blower pilot program powers up in San Jose
Gas-powered leaf blowers could disappear from San Jose, two years before they stop being sold in California. An electric leaf blower pilot program launched on Friday aims to decrease the noise and air pollution generated by gas-powered blowers. The idea was developed in close partnership with San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan‘s office and residents of...
UPDATE: East San Jose community farm receives 25-year extension
Residents relying on fresh food from an East San Jose community farm won’t have to worry about produce anytime soon thanks to a 25-year extension from the city. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a 25-year contract Tuesday with Veggielution, a local nonprofit that runs an urban garden at Emma Prusch Farm Park. Veggielution...
Proposed mine near Gilroy a human rights issue, says commission
A Santa Clara County commission wants to halt plans to build a mine near Gilroy, calling it a critical human rights issue. The Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission voted unanimously last week to support the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in its opposition to a proposed sand and gravel mine on land they consider sacred. The commission—a volunteer...
Legal woes still halt San Jose park revitalization
A lawsuit continues to obstruct plans to breathe life into a troubled park in downtown San Jose. Local residents approached a national foundation nearly a decade ago with an idea to build an outdoor music venue at St. James Park, with the hopes it would turn the space into an iconic downtown destination. But as...
Thousands of San Jose residents behind on water bills
The number of San Jose homes and businesses with overdue water bills spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many could see their taps run dry when the state ban on water shutoffs ends in December. At least 1,160 customers have unpaid bills totaling a combined $1.1 million with the San Jose Municipal Water System as...
San Jose still in negotiations for purified water project
San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Water District pumped the brakes earlier this year on a plan to purify and recycle more water in the city. Since then, progress has slowed to a trickle. On Wednesday, members of the city’s Rules and Open Government Committee decided to select a third party to facilitate negotiations between the...
Rising heat threatens Silicon Valley’s vulnerable populations
Extreme heat is dangerous and sometimes lethal—and it’s becoming difficult to escape in the age of climate change. In Silicon Valley, some residents struggled to stay cool during a heat advisory earlier this month. About 50 people gathered at three public cooling centers in San Jose from July 9-11, according to Daniel Lazo, spokesperson for...
Will San Jose’s Vietnamese Heritage Garden ever blossom?
When a group of Vietnamese leaders came up with the idea of a heritage garden almost 40 years ago, the vision was grand. The Viet Heritage Garden in San Jose was supposed to be a cultural oasis featuring mini-replicas of different historical Vietnamese landmarks, a reflection pond and a pathway to a community center. Today, the garden...