A Cupertino resident is challenging the city’s approval of a multihome development in a high fire risk area, arguing officials failed to properly study the dangers. The lawsuit, filed May 1 by resident Mark Fantozzi against Cupertino and developer SummerHill Homes, alleges the Linda Vista Drive housing project violates state environmental and subdivision laws because...
Housing commissioners say San Jose isn’t providing data
San Jose housing commissioners are raising concerns over how much authority the city housing director has — with some commissioners saying they’re being sidelined. Officials at the Housing and Development Commission meeting on Thursday had a disagreement over what information commissioners have the right to request from the Housing Department. Some commissioners said it’s been...
Federal detention center planned in South County
Public records suggest the federal government plans to build a detention center in Santa Clara County, just 11 miles south of an ICE field office in Morgan Hill. The potential facility would be located at 7240 Holsclaw Road, an unincorporated area right outside Gilroy’s boundaries. Federal procurement records show the General Services Administration, which handles...
Santa Clara shifts minor public right-of-way changes to staff
Santa Clara officials are shifting decision-making over certain public right-of-way areas from elected leaders to city staff, with some residents sharing concerns about transparency and accountability. The City Council on Tuesday voted 4-3 to have the city manager approve minor public right-of-way changes, such as fences or structures near sidewalks, without needing to hold a...
Budget cuts will close San Jose safe sleeping site
San Jose plans to decommission its only sanctioned tent homeless encampment months after it opened. The Taylor Street Navigation Hub is scheduled to close by next January as San Jose grapples with its $50 million deficit. The move comes as a shock to homeless advocates, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan threw his weight behind the...
High-rise apartments in Campbell could replace closed restaurant
The location of a beloved Campbell restaurant that shut down during the pandemic could be redeveloped for housing. Saratoga-based E. Barbano Enterprises, LLC has submitted a proposed plan to redevelop the 2.4-acre property at 980 E. Campbell Ave., where the blighted Hick’ry Pit restaurant still stands. The preliminary design is for a seven-story building with...
San Jose resident sues city over 7-story apartment project
Neighborhood opposition against a proposed seven-story apartment complex in Willow Glen has entered a new phase, after one resident launched a lawsuit intended to force the city into conducting a more thorough review of the development’s potential impact on the area’s sewer system. Jeffrey Yuille, who lives directly adjacent to the proposed development site at...
Sunnyvale slow to help homeless people living in RVs
Sunnyvale leaders are moving forward with a plan to address homelessness among people living in their vehicles, but how quickly solutions can be implemented is unclear. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to develop proposals for interim housing on city-owned land, a potential RV buyback program and a permitted parking system for oversized vehicles...
Campbell council closes housing development loophole
Campbell residents have scored a partial victory in a fight against a state housing law that could open the door to replacing single-family homes with multifamily developments. The law prevents cities from standing in the way of developers who want to put up to 10 homes on vacant residential lots, but doesn’t specify the timing...
Fed grant to cut San Jose’s homeless housing costs
San Jose is looking to offset a sizable portion of its homeless shelter expenses through Medi-Cal reimbursements, but homeless service providers aren’t making full use of the opportunity. That’s about to change with help from a federal grant. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept and match $1.3 million from the federal Providing...