A century-old Saratoga vineyard could transform into hundreds of homes, creating mixed feelings in the community. San Jose-based City Connect Real Estate Development is proposing a 231-home development on 11.6 acres of vineyard land at 14001 Chester Ave. The project includes 24 single-family homes, 85 townhomes, 84 homes with tandem garages and 38 attached accessory...
Cupertino student housing project to evict existing renters
Dozens of Cupertino residents will be displaced in favor of creating affordable housing for college students. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is the new owner of McClellan Terrace Apartments as of July 31, following a controversial $65.6 million deal with former owner Prometheus Real Estate Group. The sale will convert the 94 apartments, located...
Cupertino retail space to become townhomes
Dozens of townhomes will soon fill a key location in the heart of Cupertino that’s been vacant for years. The Cupertino City Council unanimously approved a 59-townhome development earler this month, located at 20770 to 20850 Stevens Creek Blvd. San Ramon-based SummerHill Homes will develop the project to replace two vacant buildings, formerly Fontana’s Italian...
Campbell volleys back and forth over pickleball permits
It’s a Silicon Valley battle for the ages — pickleball versus housing. The Campbell Planning Commission unanimously directed city staff Tuesday to explore a five-year conditional use permit on a pickleball facility expansion at The HUB Silicon Valley. But commissioners also questioned Campbell’s intent to impose this requirement on the entire facility, when the property...
West Valley primed for housing after CEQA changes
It’s going to be a lot harder to protest new housing in the West Valley. West Valley residents and municipalities will have a difficult time fighting contentious housing projects using the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), thanks to two new bills that became law last month: Senate Bill 131 and Assembly Bill 130. The legal...
Downtown Santa Clara revitalization slow to start
Santa Clara’s neglected downtown took a key turn toward revitalization in 2023, but there’s been little movement since. Market conditions and complex policies have slowed the progress since its approval. Frustrated residents want Santa Clara to move on developing six acres owned by the city as identified in the Downtown Precise Plan. The other 21...
Long-delayed Santa Clara project cuts office space
The behemoth development across the street from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara has received a key nod from city officials to help it move forward. The City Council approved a general plan change for Related Santa Clara to rezone about 98 acres of office space to light industrial in the 240-acre project. The vote was split...
Downtown San Jose nightclubs operating without permits
Downtown nightlife venues with ties to San Jose’s political elite have flouted city regulations by staying open past midnight without permits for more than a year — incensing other nightclub owners who pay steep to play by the rules. San Pedro Social and Kaizen Lounge in downtown San Jose have operated without conditional use permits...
New building reforms change pace of San Jose development
San Jose officials are celebrating the rollback of a long-standing environmental law, which has been a hurdle for housing production. Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 30 signed two bills, Senate Bill 131 and Assembly Bill 130, which bring significant reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) — allowing many developments to circumvent an environmental...
Sunnyvale’s retail protection plan falls short
One of Sunnyvale’s proposals to build more housing threatens to demolish several grocery stores, and city fixes haven’t patched the problem. The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved an overhaul of the Village Center Master Plan Tuesday. The new plan redefined how seven aging retail spaces, called village centers, will be zoned for commercial, residential and...