San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has come out against a November ballot initiative that could vastly expand rent control to cover any type of housing in California. State law has for decades barred cities from limiting rent hikes on single-family homes and apartments built after 1995. Proposition 33 would repeal that law and also let...
San Jose allows sale of backyard homes as condos
With the average house in San Jose costing more than $1 million, the city has jumped at implementing a new state law that could bring more homes to market. San Jose is the first city in California to opt into a law passed by the state Legislature last year that allows residents to sell their...
Cupertino weighs moving location of aging City Hall
Cupertino City Hall could move from its decades-old location — but it may not be long term. The Cupertino City Council voted 4-1 last month, with Councilmember Kitty Moore as the sole no vote, to open negotiations on moving city departments into an empty office building while the nearly 60-year-old City Hall is renovated or...
Nonprofit settles with Cupertino over lease dispute
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...