Heavy rain and powerful wind raged through San Jose over the weekend, affecting the most vulnerable communities. Luckily, the worst of the weather is behind us, officials say. The recent atmospheric river storm resulted in broken trees that blocked roads, fell on homes and damaged cars. Approximately 700,000 people lost power throughout the Bay Area,...
Santa Clara County to buy hundreds of acres for conservation
Just weeks after a deal fell through to buy the Richmond Ranch for development, county leaders are moving forward with turning the open space into a massive park. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to begin acquiring a nearly 1,500-acre portion of the 3,654-acre ranch, with the remaining space being...
UPDATE: Silicon Valley water board elects new chair
In an unexpected turn of events, Valley Water’s board of directors reelected Director Nai Hsueh to be its next chair. After a motion to elect Director Barbara Keegan failed, the board voted 5-2 to make Hsueh chair. Directors John Valera, Richard Santos, Tony Estremera, Rebecca Eisenberg and Hsueh voted yes, and Director Jim Beall and...
San Jose avoids flooding with recent rain
This year’s winter may not be deluging San Jose in atmospheric rivers, but officials are still preparing for another wet season. San Jose just experienced its first heavy rainfall of the season, receiving between one-half inch to 1.5 inches of rain over the past three days, according to the National Weather Service. During this time,...
Part of San Jose’s Coyote Valley could become a cemetery
Environmentalists are urging San Jose leaders to reconsider plans for a new cemetery in Coyote Valley, claiming it will harm large swaths of natural habitats. The Heritage Oaks Memorial Park cemetery project would be built on 102 acres of Coyote Valley’s ridge on the south side of Bailey Avenue, east of McKean Road. The hillside...
San Jose starts preparing for wet winter weather
San Jose officials are gearing up for a wave of expected atmospheric rivers this winter as the rainy season hits the region. The rain has started light, but San Jose leaders say they are preparing for another abnormally wet season. The National Weather Service indicates Wednesday’s rain will continue through the weekend, bringing in nearly...
Sunnyvale officials nix artificial turf on athletic field
For North Sunnyvale residents near Lakewood Park, the grass is literally greener on the other side of town. Residents who live in a historically underserved, low-income community fought to add more green spaces in their neighborhood at Tuesday’s Sunnyvale City Council meeting. They convinced councilmembers to switch plans from installing artificial turf to grass on...
San Jose is one of the nation’s greenest cities
San Jose places in the top 10 overall “greenest” cities in the country. The city ranked sixth out of the 100 most populous cities in the country based on a combination of four factors — environment, transportation, energy sources, and lifestyle and policy — according to a new ranking from personal finance outlet WalletHub. San...
San Jose will grow urban canopy with federal funds
San Jose is about to get greener thanks to a federal grant to help expand its urban tree canopy. The U.S. Forest Service awarded San Jose $6.6 million on Sept. 22 to plant, maintain and restore trees across the city. It’s part of a $1 billion program funded by the U.S. Inflation and Reduction Act giving...
Will San Jose’s Coyote Valley cater to tourists?
With Coyote Valley shielded from urban development through 2040, San Jose’s long defended southern reserve is now being eyed for tourism. Some local property owners would like to see a six-mile stretch of Monterey Road—from Metcalf Road to Morgan Hill—developed with restaurants, wineries, motels and bed and breakfasts. But environmental advocates who for years fought to...