Santa Clara County is nearly two years behind on receiving state approval for its housing plans, allowing developers to push projects forward in unwanted ways. County officials submitted their fourth draft of the housing element on Nov. 1 and expect to hear back from the state Department of Housing and Community Development by Dec. 31. Lacking...
San Jose affordable housing replaces day care project
A North San Jose site originally planned for what city officials described as a new day care center is shifting gears to an affordable housing complex. McKenzie Dibble, project manager for housing developer Danco, said during a Monday meeting with residents that they acquired the property at 1207 North Capitol Ave. last month and plan to...
Google gives San Jose $5M for community benefits
San Jose has received another infusion of cash from Google, adding to the community benefits pot. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $5 million payment from the tech company as part of its community benefits agreement in the Downtown West project. About $4.25 million will be put into the Community Stabilization...
East San Jose business district gets grant to beautify area
Alum Rock business advocates are getting a $100,000 grant to not just beautify the neighborhood, but also solidify the East San Jose district’s cultural identity. Councilmember Peter Ortiz said he secured the grant during the city’s recent budgeting process to support the efforts of the Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business Association — an organization...
San Jose leaders toss public hearings for infill development
San Jose officials are aggressively moving forward with filling housing gaps in existing neighborhoods, but experts say the proposal needs to go further. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the strategy known as infill housing, following housing department officials identifying barriers on residential developments and finding opportunities for San Jose to reach...
Campbell squeezes 20 townhomes on less than an acre
Campbell is putting in homes wherever it can, including more than a dozen townhouses on less than an acre, to meet its housing goals. The Campbell Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a 20-townhome development on 0.8 acres at 90 E. Latimer Ave. last month. Palo Alto-based Granite Ridge Properties will develop the 3-story project,...
San Jose cuts fees for multifamily housing developers
More multifamily home construction could be in San Jose’s future, with the approval of a new developer incentive program. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted 9-1 to squash financial penalties for developers who build less than the required 15% affordable housing benchmark, provided the projects are multifamily homes. Councilmember Peter Ortiz was the sole no...
San Jose leaders approve scaled-down El Paseo redevelopment
San Jose housing advocates are expressing concern over a recently-approved development that dropped its pledge toward more than 100 affordable homes, including a former vice mayor. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a modified plan to redevelop the El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center with a 772-home apartment complex. Developer Sand Hill...
Vacant Los Gatos corner to become Tesla, Whole Foods
Two major retailers are slated to fill an empty space in Los Gatos that’s been partially vacant since 2008. Sand Hill Property Company is putting in a Whole Foods Market and a Tesla showroom and service center between 15500 and 15650 Los Gatos Blvd., where a Moore Buick General Motors Company and Chevrolet dealership were previously...
Major Santa Clara housing project clears development hurdle
Santa Clara has been bulking up housing in its northern neighborhoods and officials just approved plans for thousands more homes. The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved an environmental impact report, rezoning and a developers agreement for a 48.6-acre mixed-use development in North Santa Clara on Nov. 19. Real estate firm Kylli Inc. has owned...