San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously rejected a proposal to build a new hotel with two entertainment venues in a sleepy suburb of the city, following immense pressure from residents who voiced opposition to the project. The hotel, which would have been located at 615 and 623 Stockton Ave., was heavily protested for being plopped in...
San Jose mulls new citywide parking policy ideas to cut greenhouse gases
San Jose Planning Commission members received a recent preview of an Urban Land Institute parking study and a slew of recommendations that aim to reduce congestion and the number of miles vehicles travel in the city as a way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. ULI is an urban planning research organization and thinktank,...
San Jose: Census officials work to gain trust in Vietnamese community
Census officials are determined to count each and every member of San Jose’s substantial Vietnamese community, pulling out all the stops through local partnerships and widespread publicity. Yet, an extensive outreach plan may not fully reach a group that’s held on to a distrust of government and faced deportations. A priority in this year’s U.S....
San Jose approves new anti-graffiti efforts and Diridon Station design
San Jose elected leaders Tuesday unanimously approved beefing up anti-graffiti efforts with a new policy that reduces the time it takes to paint over tagging on private property when more than one complaint has been filed. The new shortened process means city officials can re-inspect a private property site where graffiti was previously reported and immediately issue...
Rule change prompts San Jose lawmakers to reduce travel
San Jose lawmakers have significantly reduced city-funded travel, a San José Spotlight analysis found, and some say it’s because of a trip five elected officials took to Japan nearly two years ago. The city has since implemented a new travel policy, which restricts how many councilmembers can travel at a given time. The policy, approved in...
San Jose lawmakers vote against supporting Measure B funds reallocation
Silicon Valley climate activists are urging the VTA to declare a climate emergency and reallocate funds from a 2016 half-cent sales tax to public transit projects in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the San Jose City Council on Tuesday, which has five directors on the VTA board that includes Mayor Sam Liccardo...
National debate over universal health care spills into San Jose
Democrats — especially on the presidential debate stage — have been throwing around the term “Medicare for All” for quite some time, confusing the American electorate on the different policy proposals the umbrella phrase could be referring to. To set the record straight, a panel of elected leaders and policy experts Tuesday hosted a discussion...
Thousands march in downtown San Jose for Women’s March 2020
“People united, will never be divided!” “Show me what democracy looks like!” “This is what democracy looks like!” “What do we want?” “Justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” The chants and cheers at the 4th annual San Jose Women’s March were deafening. Thousands poured onto the streets from City Hall to Arena Green in...
Downtown San Jose gas leak shuts down San Fernando as buildings are evacuated nearby
Three buildings have been evacuated near San Jose City Hall, and San Jose Fire Department officials are asking others to shelter in place due to a natural gas leak at on Fifth Street and San Fernando. The leak was caused by a contractor working in the area who struck the line at Fifth Street, between...
San Jose approves Alum Rock housing project, airport expansion plan
The San Jose City Council this week unanimously approved investing nearly $9.4 million to construct an 87-unit mixed-use affordable housing complex located in the heart of San Jose’s East Side in Alum Rock. The project’s total costs, which amount to nearly $55.4 million, are in part funded by Measure A funds — a $950 million affordable housing bond...