Two pernicious problems in Silicon Valley—lack of affordable housing and declining school enrollment—are closely tied, new research suggests. A recent report commissioned by the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation says building more housing could help reverse long-term declines in student enrollment across Santa Clara County. Enrollment is expected to decline by more than 15% in the...
San Jose sees record in permits for backyard homes
San Jose residents are building mini homes in their backyards and bringing families close together. Despite economic hardships related to COVID-19 and supply chain delays, 2021 broke records for residents who want to add another home on their property. Permit requests for accessory dwelling units (ADU) reached 804, with 464 permits issued last year. The...
San Jose council review: Homeless report, mental health response
Homelessness, mental health response, cost-saving recommendations and fee decreases to incentivize commercial development were the hot topics at Tuesday’s San Jose City Council meeting. Here’s the weekly breakdown: Annual Homeless Report Despite the hardships exacerbated by COVID-19, the city’s housing department said it has made notable progress on San Jose’s 2020-2025 plan to end homelessness....
UPDATE: San Jose gives more fee breaks to commercial developers
Commercial developers in San Jose will see another fee cut—and some advocates say it’s at the expense of affordable housing. On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a 20% reduction in commercial linkage fees citywide if the fees are fully paid before construction. The fee is a cost per square footage. The plan also increases...
Santa Clara developer scales back project plans
A developer looking to redevelop 46 acres of northern Santa Clara has scaled back its plans by more than half. Mission Point is a proposal to build a new mixed-use neighborhood by developer Kylli at 3005 Democracy Way in Northern Santa Clara. It was first submitted in 2019 after collecting feedback that began in late 2017....
San Jose to lease VTA lot for safe parking program
Unhoused people living in their RVs will soon be able to sleep safely at a sanctioned location in South San Jose. City officials told homeless advocates this week that San Jose is almost ready to sign a 5-year lease with VTA to start a new safe parking program at the Santa Teresa station’s parking lot. The...
Santa Clara 76-acres rezoning could add thousands of homes
Seventy-six acres of office parks in northern Santa Clara have just been rezoned to add high density housing. The Santa Clara City Council voted unanimously this week to approve the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, which changes the zoning of an area bounded by the Hetch Hetchy pipeline right-of-way to the north, Mission College on...
West San Jose six-story hotel approved on Winchester Boulevard
Despite fervent community opposition, a six-story hotel is coming to Winchester Boulevard in West San Jose. On Wednesday, plans for a 119-room hotel on a 0.69-acre parcel at 1212 S. Winchester Blvd. was approved at a Planning Director’s hearing. The approval includes the demolition of two single-story commercial buildings and nine trees. The proposal quietly...
San Jose escalates efforts to clear homeless encampment
With the deadline to clear one of the Bay Area’s largest homeless camps looming, San Jose has started towing cars and RVs near Columbus Park this week—a move that has prompted concern from advocates and homeless residents. With no advance notice, the city put up towing signs throughout the 18 acres area near Columbus Park...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County buys land for more affordable housing
Santa Clara County is acquiring more land to build hundreds of affordable homes for disadvantaged residents. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to purchase four properties in San Jose, Santa Clara and Morgan Hill, which will cost the county more than $17 million and provide 324 apartments. “I really want to just acknowledge...