Contentious plans for the Charcot Avenue Extension project in North San Jose are reaching the end of the road. San Jose’s Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday unanimously recommended the city halt plans to build an overpass that would cross over Interstate Highway 880 from Paragon Drive to Oakland Road and divert the remaining...
What’s in store for Silicon Valley in 2022?
Lawmakers in Silicon Valley have wrapped up a tumultuous and busy year. 2021 was marked with major decisions that will have a lasting impact on the region—as well as those that lay the groundwork for future changes. With the world entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses struggling to recover, housing costs exploding and San...
After five years, San Jose’s Cambrian Village back on track
Although residents seem satisfied with the latest Cambrian Park Plaza design, questions remain about the project’s impact. The 1950s era Cambrian Park Plaza, located at Camden and Union avenues in San Jose, is being reimagined as Cambrian Village, an 18-acre urban village. It will include retail, restaurants, a hotel, 305 apartments, 48 single-family homes with 27...
San Jose lawmakers implement controversial state housing law
San Jose adopts—and looks to build on—a state law that permits denser development in single-family neighborhoods. The City Council voted 9-1-1 Tuesday to adopt an urgency ordinance to implement Senate Bill 9, a state law that allows more homes on single-family lots. Councilmember Sylvia Arenas did not respond when asked for her vote. The council...
UPDATE: San Jose removes commercial requirements for affordable housing
San Jose is eliminating a long-standing development requirement to make way for more affordable housing amid a growing homelessness crisis. Under a decades-old policy, affordable housing projects built within the city’s urban villages, or designated areas planned around public transportation, must dedicate the ground floor to commercial spaces—something lawmakers hoped would spur job growth and...
A look at the latest San Jose candidates running for office in 2022
In less than six months, San Joseans will go to the ballot box to pick their next councilmembers and mayor. Numerous candidates have already pulled papers, including well-known politicians Raul Peralez and Cindy Chavez, who are vying to become San Jose’s next mayor. Here’s a roundup of the candidates who have declared so far in...
UPDATE: San Jose extends outdoor dining program through 2022
San Jose residents will be able to dine outdoors at their favorite restaurants through next year. With pre-pandemic indoor dining not expected to return anytime soon, the San Jose City Council unanimously extended its popular Al Fresco outdoor dining and business program on Tuesday, as the region deals with another COVID variant. The extension allows...
San Jose’s Cambrian Park Plaza inches toward redevelopment
Cambrian Park Plaza is a step closer to redevelopment with the release of its draft environmental report. Located at the intersection of Union and Camden avenues in San Jose with its iconic carousel sign, the reimagined single-story shopping center, which dates back to the 1950s, is a long way from approval. An estimated completion date...
UPDATE: San Jose council keeps Coyote Valley as open space
“Amazon-style” warehouses won’t be in the future of San Jose’s Coyote Valley for now, as the city plans to preserve 314 acres of green space, marking a victory for local environmentalists. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rezone portions of the valley south of the city from industrial use to agricultural and...
Staedler: Lets focus on mixed-use projects that will impact our community
While there has been a lot of discussion in the last week about SB 9, SB 10 and the gaping legislative holes in what each bill will and won’t do, it overshadows projects that will redevelop neighborhood retail centers. These projects will develop more than 1,000 homes in areas with amenities and infrastructure. The two...