Greystar, the largest landlord in the U.S. with multiple major properties in Silicon Valley, has reached a $7 million settlement in an antitrust lawsuit that alleges the property management company colluded with competitors to drive up rent prices, according to a recent news release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The settlement is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed...
San Jose parks commissioner warns of mismanagement
A member of San Jose’s Parks and Recreation Commission has issued a public broadside against the department he helps to advise. In a public letter sent to city leaders Nov. 7, Commissioner Ken Brennan warned that mismanagement within the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department has hamstrung the agency’s ability to maintain the more than 200...
Silicon Valley candidate’s lofty campaign ideas scrutinized
Santa Clara County assessor candidate Rishi Kumar is turning heads — and raising eyebrows — with a vow to shield older adults from property taxes. Some people are pushing back on the idea. After the abrupt resignation of the county’s 30-year former assessor, Larry Stone, a special contest to manage the county’s $700 billion real estate roll...
Mountain View approves Shoreline pathway improvements
Constructed more than five decades ago, the bicycle and pedestrian path along Shoreline Boulevard between Villa Street and Wright Avenue is in poor condition, with tree roots causing cracked and raised asphalt. That could all change starting next year, after the Mountain View City Council voted last month to move ahead with an $8.7 million improvement...
Longtime urban planner set for seat on San Jose Planning Commission
Three months after trading his role as San Jose Planning Commission chairman for a seat on the City Council, Anthony Tordillos has nominated his replacement. The District 3 representative has tapped Aimée Escobar, a veteran urban planner with an extensive background in housing policy, to fill the seat he vacated in August. Councilmembers will hold a...
The Biz Beat: Stromboli is the star of San Jose pizzeria
If the averages hold, Anna Di Maggio will have made more than 21,000 strombolis since Tony Di Maggio’s Pizza in San Jose reopened on June 13, after a fire destroyed the roof and temporarily closed the business. At 80, Anna has been working at the family-owned restaurant since she and her husband, Tony, founded it...
Santa Clara County cancer center carries on amid funding woes
The recent passage of a countywide sales tax measure is expected to soften federal funding cuts to Silicon Valley’s largest public hospital system. But it won’t avoid cuts entirely — and places like Santa Clara County’s premier cancer treatment center could still be affected. It’s estimated that roughly 18% of all Santa Clara County cancer patients will be...
San Jose wants to raise rents in mobile home parks
San Jose mobile home residents say the city blindsided them by proposing changes that will increase rents. The Housing Department is considering an update to its mobile home rent policy that would include a one-time rent increase up to 10% whenever a mobile home is sold, among other changes. Under the existing policy, property owners...
Palo Alto looks to strike new deal with trash hauler
Citing a track record of stable rates and flexible services, Palo Alto is preparing to renew its contract with GreenWaste Palo Alto, the trash hauler that has been collecting the city’s garbage, compost and recyclable materials since 2009. Under a deal that the City Council is scheduled to approve next week, GreenWaste would receive an...
Happy Hollow hosts Santa Clara County families for ‘Friendsgiving’
Santa Clara County families and advocates in the court system had a recent opportunity to enjoy time together over a Thanksgiving meal at a local park and zoo. Families in the Dependency Wellness Court and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs shared in a “Friendsgiving” Nov. 15 at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San...