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...
San Jose to add more multifamily affordable housing
The construction of nearly 200 affordable apartments will break ground next month in South San Jose. San Jose City Council unanimously approved a $73.7 million multifamily housing revenue bond on June 10 to close the remaining gap needed to finance the $160-million affordable housing development with developer Affirmed Housing. The 191-apartment complex will be 100% affordable...
Hundreds of affordable homes proposed for North San Jose
A proposal for 780 affordable homes next to Topgolf in North San Jose could be the city’s largest rent-restricted housing complex. The San Jose Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday for Alviso neighborhood residents living near a proposed 100% affordable housing project by developer Cloud Apartments at 7 Topgolf Drive. Housing advocates with organizations...
San Jose loans $72M for affordable housing project
San Jose officials are loaning a multifamily housing developer tens of millions of dollars in an effort to create more affordable housing. The City Council voted unanimously June 17 to approve loans totaling $72.5 million to nonprofit Community Development Partners to build an affordable housing 160-apartment complex at 525 N. Capitol Ave., of which a...
East San Jose cultural district nets $50K grant
The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza is gearing up to launch San Jose’s first distinct cultural district. Housing Trust Silicon Valley, a nonprofit community development group, announced on June 11 it will award a $50,000 grant to the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. As the plaza celebrated...
San Jose restaurant to be replaced by Chick-fil-A
Neighborhood-wide efforts to save a San Jose restaurant have been quashed in favor of a new fast-food eatery. Planning Director Christopher Burton on Wednesday approved a Chick-fil-A at 255 Race St. off West San Carlos Street because the location is considered underused — despite a longstanding family restaurant operating at the site. The decision solidifies...
San Jose residents win fight to stop housing project
City officials have sided with homeowners opposed to a proposed 17-story apartment complex that would have added hundreds of homes in West San Jose. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to deny plans to construct 135 homes and 15,000 square feet of commercial retail space at 826 N. Winchester Blvd. Neighborhood residents who...
San Jose loans housing developer $5M after political donations
City leaders are committing millions of dollars in loans to an affordable housing provider after the company’s officers donated thousands to San Jose elected officials. The San Jose City Council on June 3 unanimously approved up to $5 million in loans for the “Gateway Tower” project, a 15-story 220-apartment development between 493 S. First St....
Los Gatos group proposes new community center
A West Valley town doesn’t have a central community hub. One local group is trying to fix that. The Los Gatos Thrives Foundation, a nonprofit focused on helping older adults, recently unveiled conceptual designs of a potential new community center. The designs signal the start of plans to build a multigenerational community center in a town that’s been...