One of San Jose’s most important legislative bodies will begin its next term with new leadership. The San Jose Planning Commission, a powerful panel that oversees development and advises lawmakers on the city’s planning policies, will add two new members. The City Council is expected to approve the appointments on Tuesday. Chair Rolando Bonilla is terming...
Tiny homes are coming, whether San Jose lawmakers like it or not
Tiny homes in San Jose are being hailed as a fix to a growing homelessness crisis. But two policymakers are saying the sites in their districts won’t work. The City Council this week voted 8-2 to approve a plan that would add 400 transitional homes, as the region’s housing crisis continues to push more people...
A San Jose temple’s latest adversary? A former planning commissioner
A former city commissioner is behind a new push to stop a Sikh temple from expanding in a suburban San Jose neighborhood — but his attempts, like many before it, have failed. Jim Zito, who sat on the San Jose Planning Commission and unsuccessfully ran for City Council in 2020, filed an appeal in April to...
What the overturning of Roe v. Wade means for Silicon Valley
The outrage is palpable with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but women in Santa Clara County will not be impacted. “Absolutely nothing is changing,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez told San José Spotlight. “In fact, not only are we continuing services, but we’re going to be expanding them.” On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court...
San Jose refreshes its approach to abandoned vehicles
The San Jose Department of Transportation has recalibrated its approach to vehicle towing. Post-pandemic, the Parking Compliance Unit of the transportation department is working smarter in how it responds to public reports. New policy prioritizes cases based on a vehicle’s condition and likelihood to be towed. Reports of abandoned, non-working vehicles will be investigated over...
San Jose regulates police use of military equipment
The San Jose Police Department has hundreds of military-grade items in its armory and is asking for more. City officials are scrutinizing the request. The City Council unanimously approved a new policy on Tuesday, which guides how the San Jose Police Department should pay for, acquire and use certain types of gear considered military-level equipment—including...
San Jose Vietnamese service center gets infusion of funding
Santa Clara County has renewed its commitment to address the health care gap among its Vietnamese residents. The Board of Supervisors last week unanimously voted to dole out nearly $1 million to hire more Vietnamese American Service Center workers and help a nonprofit implement a mental health program targeting Vietnamese seniors in East San Jose. The majority...
High gas prices have San Jose commuters seeing red
As gas costs continue to reach unsustainable levels, no one is immune to the pump pain. For those commuting miles to work, all are getting gouged equally. While the state searches for solutions to the near $7 a gallon price at the pump, people like police officers, delivery drivers and traveling nurses are dealing with...
Little progress made to protect San Jose mobile homes
After two years of waiting, San Jose mobile homeowners say the city reneged on a promise to give them more protection. The San Jose City Council in March 2020 unanimously approved a plan to put all 58 mobile home properties under the same land use designation—but only two sites have received the new layer of...
San Jose small businesses have two weeks to apply for rent relief
San Jose has extended the deadline for a small business grant program through this month, but confusion lingers about who is eligible. Small businesses now have until 5 p.m. on June 30 to apply. The program aims to provide up to $15,000 in funding to 300 small businesses, targeting back rent and utility debts incurred...