In East San Jose, developers can get projects approved without a vote from the City Council or extensive public input using a special zoning rule — a process that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the city. Community leaders and advocates say the policy is unfair and needs to end. In a letter to Mayor Sam...
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Fate of Thomas Fallon statue launches public forum on San Jose art
Some consider Capt. Thomas Fallon an important part of history. Others call him a symbol of oppression and have long called for the removal of the downtown statue depicting Fallon on horseback raising the U.S. flag in San Jose in 1846. People on both sides will get a chance Jan. 29 to have their say...
Tenants mount courthouse protest to end evictions in Santa Clara County
Dozens of tenants and their advocates blocked the entrance to the Santa Clara County Superior Court in downtown San Jose this morning to protest ongoing evictions during the pandemic. Nine protesters were arrested after sheriff’s deputies declared the demonstration unlawful. The demonstrators successfully shut down the courts in the morning but judges resumed hearing cases...
Election creates void on San Jose City Council for Vietnamese community
From the sensory delights of Little Saigon to colorful celebrations at Lion Square, the influence of the Vietnamese community is seeped in San Jose — except on the City Council. Following November’s election, San Jose — where more than 1 in 10 residents is Vietnamese — no longer has a councilmember representing the community, leaving...
Google’s plan to reduce car traffic, address homelessness at center of public feedback
As the city of San Jose and Google move toward transforming the city’s downtown, residents are casting wary eyes on their plans to reduce car traffic and address homelessness in the area. Downtown Councilmember Raul Peralez, whose district encompasses downtown, hosted a community meeting for San Jose’s Diridon Station Area Plan (DSAP) and Google’s Downtown...
UPDATE: Meet the seven finalists vying to be San Jose’s next police chief
Seven finalists will now vie for the San Jose Police Department’s top job. After putting a two-week pause on police chief recruitment to find candidates from outside San Jose, City Manager Dave Sykes announced two new contenders. The first is Larry Scirotto, a retired assistant chief from Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The second is Anchorage...
UPDATE: San Jose approves extending eviction ban to protect renters
San Jose leaders aren’t waiting for California to make a move this week to protect renters and acted quickly Tuesday to halt local evictions during the COVID-19 crisis. Since the state’s eviction ban is set to expire Jan. 31, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to enact an eviction ban until March. In the...
San Jose funeral homes struggling to keep up with COVID-19 deaths
Tom Beddingfield prides himself in being a yes man. In the funeral industry, it’s a must: With families grieving, the last thing some families want to hear is no. “In all the years I’ve been doing this, my biggest thing that I’ve always told my staff is that never tell a family no, whatever their...
Santa Clara County blames COVID-19 for not fulfilling public records requests
Santa Clara County is refusing to release records related to COVID-19 because “it is not in the public interest” for county employees to divert their time from the pandemic to collect and review public documents. But government watchdog groups say that excuse is unacceptable. County officials have a legal obligation to fulfill requests under the...
VTA faces a sea of change, tough recruitment process following Fernandez’s departure
Transit experts say it could be months before Valley Transportation Authority selects a permanent leader to replace former CEO and general manager Nuria Fernandez — who recently left her post to join the Biden administration. Following Fernandez’s Jan. 19 resignation, local leaders foresee an uncertain future for VTA and possible changes in transit initiatives across...