An autism nonprofit will pay Cupertino thousands of dollars after settling a monthslong dispute over the closure of a group home for children. The Cupertino City Council unanimously approved a settlement between the city and nonprofit Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE) last month after PACE stopped operating the group home at 7576 Kirwin Lane,...
It’s never been easier to build a backyard home in San Jose
Backyard homes are now even easier to build in San Jose after amending some conflicting rules. The San Jose City Council earlier this month unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s local building code, also known as a reach code, allowing any new home under 1,200 square feet to meet energy standards if it certifies...
Condemned San Jose home sells after multiple offers
Land is California’s new gold, and the rush for a piece of it online might raise eyebrows when browsing the real estate listings. This month, a seven-bed, two-bathroom home on a 4,000 square-foot lot is on the market for nearly $700,000 in San Jose’s Burbank Neighborhood. It may sound like a bargain, but that’s because...
Santa Clara County proposes faster approval for backyard homes
“Backyard homes” are about to get easier and faster to build for residents living in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously signed off on providing residents within its jurisdiction two sets of pre-approved plans for building accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also known as granny flats or in-law units, on their...
San Jose neighborhood fights to preserve its identity
After decades of residents requesting historic status, San Jose is starting the process to create a new city landmark district — the first since 2007. The San Jose City Council earlier this month voted unanimously to nominate Alameda Park/Schiele Avenue as a historic district, with Councilmember Omar Torres absent. The designation would protect homes in...
Here’s what’s replacing San Jose’s beloved Flames Eatery
A new restaurant is opening in downtown San Jose at the site of a former meeting hotspot for local politicos. Home Eat, a Chinese restaurant chain with locations in Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Fremont, is slated to open sometime next week under a five-year lease with the city. The restaurant will fill the vacant site on...
Downtown San Jose property owner neglects blighted building
It’s been three years since a fire raged through the Lawrence Hotel building in downtown San Jose, but it looks like the fire happened just a couple of days ago. Since the four-alarm fire on Jan. 7, 2021, the historic building on San Fernando and Third streets has been in disrepair with burn marks on...
Silicon Valley realtors brace for commission revamp
Nationwide changes in the way real estate agents are compensated might not make a difference in Silicon Valley. A pending settlement from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) could be an industry game changer that upends the commissions homebuyers pay real estate agents. The key changes could come as soon as July. This includes real estate...
Deal falls through at former San Jose Safeway
An empty commercial space in downtown San Jose where a Safeway was previously located is still vacant nearly five years later, after an oral wellness company backed out of a deal to move there last summer. Downtown advocates and residents remain hopeful another grocery store can fill the space, but officials say that could still...
Formerly homeless veterans in San Jose live in squalor
For years, homeless veterans housed at an emergency facility in San Jose have lived with bed bugs, black mildew, fire hazards and a lack of warm water — and they’re relying on outdated evacuation plans, disconnected fire sprinklers and unsafe electrical systems. These are the conditions described in a Santa Clara County inspection report for...