At the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis in San Jose where hundreds of people sleep outdoors, another crisis is festering: rats. “They’re everywhere,” Luke Eblieg, an unhoused person living at the sprawling encampment near Columbus Park, told San José Spotlight. “And they are nothing like I have ever seen.” Brown rats are chewing through electrical wires...
San Jose voters to decide on moving mayoral elections
San Jose voters will soon be tasked with deciding if mayoral elections should take place in presidential election years. On Tuesday, the City Council voted 10-1 to put the decision before voters for the June 7 primary election. If the measure passes with a simple majority, it will shift the timing of the next mayoral...
More billboards proposed near San Jose airport
As San Jose leaders consider allowing two digital billboards to be built at the airport, three more may be quietly coming to the city. Documents obtained by San José Spotlight show the city signed a notice of intent for billboards at Highway 87 and West Mission Street, as well as 1404 Mabury Road and another at...
Food truck brings hot meals, essentials to San Jose homeless
In an effort to serve more unhoused people, one nonprofit sends a food truck out to encampments to meet people where they are. Dubbed “Hope on Wheels,” the food truck visits at least three encampments every week to bring hot meals and essential supplies such as jackets, tarps and hand sanitizer to unhoused people across the South...
Massive verdict for mogul who tried to buy stake in San Jose casino
A Bay Area casino magnate has won a whopping victory against his former attorney for allegedly spoiling his purchase of part of a San Jose card room. A Sonoma County Superior Court jury announced a $47.4 million verdict for businessman John Park on Feb. 3. The jury found the defendant, Park’s former lawyer Tracey Buck-Walsh,...
Lobbyists contribute to San Jose City Council campaigns
The top lobbyists donating to San Jose’s mayoral race are also ranking high when it comes to City Council campaign contributions. A look at lobbyist donations during the first filing period of the 2022 election season revealed $13,550 of the $196,000 raised for council candidates came from registered lobbyists. Although it only comprises 7% of the...
Advocates push for more low-income housing in San Jose project
A developer is including minimal affordable housing in a San Jose project, and city officials and a community advocacy group are calling for more. Cambrian Village—an 18-acre mixed-use redevelopment of the beloved Cambrian Park Plaza in San Jose— will include 305 apartments, 48 single-family homes with 27 attached accessory dwelling units (ADU) and 25 townhomes....
Cannabis could be coming to San Jose retail centers
San Jose cannabis enthusiasts may be starting the year off on a high. On Wednesday, the Planning Commission approved recommendations to change zoning laws for cannabis retailers that would allow up to 21 new dispensaries in commercial locations around the city. Sixteen dispensaries are allowed under current city regulations. Under the new policy, 37 total...
San Jose approves park plan to keep homeless out of flight path
San Jose is moving forward with plans to convert a 40-acre homeless encampment at the Guadalupe River Park in downtown into a recreational site. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers unanimously approved plans to build a prototype park, Guadalupe Gardens, to help prevent homeless camps from popping up again and comply with Federal Aviation Administration...
San Jose flood victims await relief five years later
San Jose residents who suffered through a disastrous flood enjoyed a significant courtroom victory just weeks before the five-year anniversary of the catastrophe that upended their lives. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Sunil Kulkarni struck down a motion for summary judgment on Jan. 27 filed by Valley Water. The district filed its motion in...