For generations, San Jose has been divided on whether to preserve or develop Coyote Valley, the 7,400 acres of land between the Santa Cruz mountains and the Diablo range. But for the first time in the city’s history, the conversation was finally put to rest–for good — after city leaders unanimously voted on Wednesday to...
Ruben Navarro will run for San Jose City Council in District 6 again
The last time Ruben Navarro ran for San Jose City Council, he was late to announce, raised a meager $3,000 and won no major endorsements. Political analysts predicted he’d finish dead last. Yet he finished fourth in a crowded race of eight viable candidates vying for the open District 6 seat. That was 2016, and...
A split San Jose City Council votes to weaken rent control law
Housing was at the forefront of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, as San Jose lawmakers weighed making changes to several crucial housing laws. Among them was amending the city’s Ellis Act, where lawmakers voted 6-5 in favor of reducing the number of units developers have to put back under rent control after redevelopment. Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez,...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County approved Laura’s Law referral, youth e-cigarette ban
In just six weeks, Santa Clara County could adopt Laura’s Law, more than 17 years after the assisted outpatient treatment program was passed into state law. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a referral for administration to consider options for adoption, which will come back to the dais Dec. 17. The law would...
Santa Clara votes to split the city into three districts for future elections
Santa Clara officials Tuesday night voted by a narrow margin to split the city up into three districts for future elections after more than two hours of tense discussion. Lawmakers mulled whether the city would be opening itself up to additional legal challenges through the move, or whether residents would be better represented with three...
San Jose expected to preserve northern part of Coyote Valley
For more than five decades, San Jose has been divided on whether to preserve or develop Coyote Valley, the 7,400 acres of land between the Santa Cruz mountains and the Diablo range. This week, city leaders are expected to make major moves toward preservation. San Jose elected officials on Wednesday will vote on whether to...
Major housing policies top San Jose City Council agenda
For months, some San Jose lawmakers have wanted to amend the city’s Ellis Act ordinance by tweaking how many units would have to be put back under rent control after redevelopment — a move spurred by a fear that the current law’s requirement is halting housing production in the region. Now, the City Council on...
Stanford withdraws application for massive expansion plans, blames county leaders
After years of discussions, Stanford has withdrawn its application to build a massive expansion to its campus in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County by Palo Alto, surprising some county elected officials who are facing blame from the university for the shift. Stanford and county leaders for more than a year have been hotly discussing...
San Jose to receive $500,000 from state for PG&E power outages
Following a tumultuous month of power outages and fire warnings, San Jose lawmakers announced on Friday that San Jose, alongside other California cities, will receive half a million in state funds to help cover costs accumulated as a result of last month’s recent set of blackouts. In addition to San Jose, other large cities including...
Santa Clara rising: Largest developments in the growing South Bay city
Santa Clara is home to some of the largest real estate developments in the region, each poised to not only change the fabric of the South Bay city, but Silicon Valley as a whole. Throughout the city, more than 14 million square feet of office, 2.3 million square feet of retail, 2,000 hotel rooms and...