A former city commissioner is behind a new push to stop a Sikh temple from expanding in a suburban San Jose neighborhood — but his attempts, like many before it, have failed. Jim Zito, who sat on the San Jose Planning Commission and unsuccessfully ran for City Council in 2020, filed an appeal in April to...
Google invests in historic San Jose house
A 112-year-old house will soon turn into affordable homes for four families thanks to a tech giant’s multi-million dollar loan. Habitat for Humanity Bay Area, which consists of the Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley and the Habitat Greater San Francisco, is receiving the $10 million loan from Mountain View-based Google to renovate and build a number...
San Jose councilmembers want to cut parking requirements
San Jose officials are green lighting a plan to reduce parking in new developments, but some are concerned about how it’ll impact residents. San Jose councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to create a policy to eliminate the city’s minimum parking requirements for new developments. The policy would incentivize alternative modes of transportation, like biking and public transit. The...
San Jose’s Breeze installation may change locations
For more than a year, San Jose residents have awaited news on a proposed downtown landmark on public park land. The latest update has the location shifting to a more urban environment. In a presentation to the city’s Neighborhood Services and Education Committee last week, Nicolle Burnham, deputy director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services,...
San Jose could cut parking requirements for new developments
San Jose planning officials are split on a proposal to eliminate minimum parking requirements for new building projects and what it could mean for the future of the city. The San Jose Planning Commission voted 6-2-3 Wednesday to receive a report with several alternatives for reducing parking spaces. Commissioners Rolando Bonilla and Jorge Garcia voted against...
San Jose hockey arena expansion to heat up downtown
Jon Gustafson, senior vice president of SAP Center and Sharks Ice, has dedicated most of his career to growing the game of hockey in San Jose. Now, Gustafson is leading a major expansion of Sharks Ice and opening the South Bay’s newest ice arena. This next chapter of Gustafson’s efforts is close to reality. The San Jose Barracuda,...
San Jose’s El Paseo de Saratoga explores massive redesign
Plans for a major retail center redevelopment in West San Jose are on track for final approval. At a Wednesday San Jose Planning Commission meeting, members approved the 10.76 acre mixed-use development known as El Paseo de Saratoga in a 9-1-1 vote. The project will demolish existing commercial buildings to pave the way for four high-rise...
San Jose permit process affected by job vacancies
One of San Jose’s fundamental departments that drives the city’s economy is filling job vacancies, but still has several open positions. Staffing vacancies remain numerous throughout the city. The problem has resulted in long delays in the permitting process and building approvals. Some employees say low wages and unmanageable workloads—exacerbated by the pandemic—are also to blame....
UPDATE: Affordable housing approved near San Jose’s Roosevelt Park
An affordable housing development near San Jose’s Roosevelt Park will finally break ground after years of delay—with financial help from the city. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept roughly $56.5 million in state grants and loans from multiple sources for First Community Housing to start construction on a 79-unit affordable apartment complex. The...
Santa Clara County spurs more affordable housing
Santa Clara County has seen a number of milestones in its effort to increase the affordable housing inventory this month, including a first in a decade development for North San Jose. The county and cities like San Jose and Santa Clara are racing to build more housing—especially affordable and supportive residences—to help address a housing crisis that...