Have you heard of the anti- and pro-development acronyms NIMBY, “Not In My Backyard,” and YIMBY, “Yes In My Backyard?” We can now add the pro-development acronym of YOSL, “Yes On School Land,” to the list. As Santa Clara County struggles to keep up with housing demand, which is causing housing prices to skyrocket, San...
UPDATE: San Jose bans sale of flavored tobacco
San Jose is the largest city in California to ban flavored tobacco products in an effort to curb nicotine addiction among children. The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-juices and menthol cigarettes. It will not make it a crime for individuals to possess such products....
San Jose unveils new goals to solve homelessness
San Jose aims to cut its homeless population by 20% by the end of next year through a new initiative to provide more housing and job stability. Mayor Sam Liccardo, joined by Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez, Dev Davis and Pam Foley, announced a plan called “Compassionate and Clean San Jose” Wednesday that would triple the number...
UPDATE: Busy Central San Jose intersection gets safety measures
Seven traffic-related deaths in the past year have finally prompted the city to take action at a busy intersection in Central San Jose. Monterey Road and Curtner Avenue—part of one of the most dangerous thoroughfares in the city—will have barriers installed as part of a safety pilot program. City officials estimate the cost to be...
UPDATE: San Jose approves high-rise office towers
Woz Way is getting a makeover in the form of a pair of high-rise office towers—and the project is right at the city’s height limit. The Almaden Office Project, led by developer Boston Properties, will be built on a 3.57-acre parking lot on the corner of South Almaden Boulevard and Woz Way. The San Jose...
Who is affected by San Jose’s proof of vaccine requirement?
San Jose’s newly-passed vaccination mandate on large events leaves out two groups people: Performers and athletes. According to the city’s new mandate, attendees and workers at events with 50 or more people at city-owned facilities need to show proof of vaccination—a CDC vaccination card, a photo of the card, a note from a doctor or...
San Jose mayoral candidate opposes state housing legislation
San Jose Councilmember and mayoral candidate Dev Davis is taking a stance against two controversial state housing bills. “Adding density in an area of the city where infrastructure improvements are not made is a recipe for disaster,” Davis wrote in a memo. “These bills could dramatically affect our neighborhoods and our ability to deliver critical...
UPDATE: San Jose still shy of building 25K housing units by 2023
There are some “bright spots” in San Jose’s housing crisis plan, but officials say more needs to be done to reach the city’s ambitious goals to prioritize affordable housing. “The affordable housing pipeline had its best year in 2020 out of the years tracked,” reads a city memo. Despite that outlook, completed units fall far...
Op-ed: Correcting Councilmember Mahan
Recently, San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan posted an article where he stated his opposition to “Opportunity Housing,” a plan to legalize fourplexes throughout the city. We feel that Mahan’s argument against the plan is misguided, and we urge him and other councilmembers to reconsider their opposition. Since summer 2020, when San Jose’s General Plan Task...
San Jose Councilmember Dev Davis kicks off mayoral campaign
San Jose Councilmember Dev Davis’ streak of rustic campaign events continued Wednesday as the District 6 lawmaker launched her mayoral campaign at Hapa’s Brewing Company near Willow Glen. “We have to tackle homelessness, we have to recover from the pandemic economically and frankly as a city. And we need to clean up our city,” Davis told San José Spotlight. Wednesday’s...