San Jose officials are considering changing an obscure policy that could kick open the door for development of a massive plot of land on the city’s east side. The 114-acre former Pleasant Hills Golf Course has been closed for nearly two decades, and can’t be permitted for development without a special exception under current city rules. But a...
San Jose BART extension could grab land from property owners
Jose Landin has co-owned Mexico Bakery’s downtown location since 2003, and the chain has become a staple of San Jose’s foodie scene. But this beloved location—and several of Landin’s neighbors—could all be gone soon. That’s because VTA plans to build a ventilation system and emergency exit for the forthcoming downtown San Jose BART station on the...
San Jose landowners stir up Coyote Valley concerns
About one year after the San Jose City Council took action to shield more than 300 acres of Coyote Valley land from development of massive distribution warehouses, several landowners are now proposing a major energy facility. Former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed represents a group of three property owners pushing early plans to accommodate an electricity transmission...
Santa Clara approves contentious affordable housing project
After considerable pushback from residents and uncertainty among Santa Clara councilmembers, city leaders are greenlighting a controversial multifamily housing project on Civic Center Drive. The Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to build a five-story apartment project with 108 affordable units managed by Charities Housing. Councilmember Kevin Park was the lone dissenter, saying he opposed...
San José Spotlight defends reporting amid legal threat
Following San José Spotlight’s reporting that revealed Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor lobbied the governor to help a major real estate firm save money on a massive project months before it cut big checks to support her reelection campaign, attorneys for the developer are pushing back. In a letter sent to San José Spotlight this...
Downtown San Jose gets Google — and a power grid
Google is coming into San Jose and bringing its own electrical grid. The tech behemoth is opening a massive complex in downtown San Jose and wants to construct its own electric distribution system, or microgrid, to power the 80-acre site. By the end of this year, San Jose will approve a business plan to make...
East San Jose theater planned as community nexus
For East San Jose, introducing a performing arts space means more than theater. It’s a window into the community’s future. As part of a redevelopment project, a mostly vacant block of stores on Alum Rock Avenue is being reimagined. Part of the plan is a theater that will bring vibrancy to the neighborhood, provide jobs,...
Santa Clara council questions mayor’s ethics
Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor is facing scrutiny and ethical questions from her colleagues after she lobbied Gov. Gavin Newsom to help a major developer skirt paying higher wages—months before the firm began a spending spree to support her reelection. The Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 to direct its governance committee to discuss whether councilmembers should be...
Santa Clara lags behind on low-income housing
Santa Clara has thousands of homes in the pipeline, but advocates are skeptical if these developments will make a dent in the shortage of affordable housing. Santa Clara has a state mandate to produce more affordable housing by 2031. The city must construct more than 11,500 homes, with less than half priced at or above market...
Following San Jose, state tosses parking requirements
San Jose and California are in a race to leave the 1960s in the past, at least when it comes to redevelopment and parking. Silicon Valley housing advocates and experts are lauding the approval of a new state law that will do away with minimum parking requirements for new developments within a half-mile of major...