The judge reviewing a lawsuit seeking to block a proposed ICE facility in South County has deferred a ruling on a preliminary injunction asking for a temporary halt to construction work. The Tuesday decision from Northern District of California Judge Eumi Lee means it may take another week or more until she renders her final...
Mountain View developer reduces affordable homes in builder’s remedy project
Plans for a seven-story condominium development in Mountain View took an unexpected turn last week after the developer submitted a last-minute proposal to reduce the number of affordable homes for the project. Community Development Director Christian Murdock held a Sept. 2 public hearing for a 216-condo project that is poised to replace 29 rent-controlled apartments on...
Five candidates compete for three Campbell City Council seats
Voters in three of Campbell’s five City Council districts will cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election, though only two districts have more than one candidate. Councilmember Dan Furtado — currently serving a one-year rotating term as mayor – is running for reelection in District 3 against local business owner Joe Brenner. District 4 Councilmember...
Housing planned for former San Jose school campus
A former South San Jose elementary school is poised to become housing. True Life Companies purchased Glider Elementary School, a 9.5-acre site, from Oak Grove School District to redevelop it with 80 homes — a combination of townhomes and single-family houses. The San Jose Planning Commission on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to recommend the project,...
Bay Area lawmakers’ bills to combat ICE head to Newsom’s desk
Several state bills spurred by Silicon Valley lawmakers to keep federal immigration agents accountable and uphold rights for detainees are headed to the governor’s desk. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities have been rife with alleged human rights violations, with reports of inhumane living conditions, sexual abuse, unsanitary food and inadequate medical care. In...
San Jose official ordered to pay $54K in attorney fees
An unusual scene unfolded in the San Jose City Council chambers on Tuesday as a man approached the dais and served District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz with legal documents. The incident, which has raised eyebrows online and in City Hall, is part of the fallout from an anti-harassment suit that Ortiz lost earlier this year....
Judge favors blocking planned South County ICE facility
A federal judge has indicated she is leaning toward granting a preliminary injunction that would block a controversial plan to create an ICE facility in South County as the lawsuit against it proceeds. Eumi Lee, a judge with the Northern District of California, issued a tentative ruling Friday in which she said that plaintiffs have...
Silicon Valley public transit service strengthens rider code of conduct
Caltrain just got its first passenger code of conduct, hoping to make behavior expectations more transparent for rowdy riders. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain’s governing body, unanimously approved the commuter rail service’s code of conduct at its Thursday meeting. Officials said doing so will bring Caltrain up to speed with peer transit agencies and...
Palo Alto officials mull new RV restrictions
Palo Alto took a measured step last month toward addressing the recent influx of oversized vehicles on local streets when it designated two streets for long-term RV parking next March as part of a new permit pilot program. But based on numbers from city staff and residents, that would still leave around 100 RVs on...
Santa Clara County schools united in opposing ICE facility
School districts across Santa Clara County are taking a stand against a proposed immigration enforcement facility in South County. A coalition of education and county leaders gathered Wednesday to denounce the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center being planned in an unincorporated area just outside Gilroy. The group is sending a joint letter —...