VTA officials will provide more clarity about the finances and long-term costs of the massive Silicon Valley BART extension in response to a Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report that criticized the agency’s management and oversight of the project. The June 17 report raised concerns about VTA’s financial planning and oversight of the roughly $13...
Palo Alto City Council approves 8-story housing complex
Converting retail to housing is one of the pillars of Palo Alto’s plan to create a new residential neighborhood on San Antonio Road, a historically commercial corridor that borders Mountain View. The latest project to do that is 762 San Antonio Road, which received unanimous approval from the Palo Alto City Council on Monday. The...
Six candidates vie for Santa Clara mayoral seat
A seismic change is about to take place in Santa Clara politics, when Mayor Lisa Gillmor terms out at the end of December. For the first time in 10 years she will not serve in the city’s top spot come January 2027. Instead, six individuals from various sectors of industry and the community are vying...
San Jose public workers could strike amid contract dispute
Thousands of San Jose city workers have voted to authorize their bargaining representatives to call a strike, ratcheting up the pressure on City Hall amid a protracted contract dispute. After a week of voting, support for the authorization came in at 97%, according to a Monday announcement from IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101....
Herman: A layoff shouldn’t uproot a Silicon Valley family
For a Silicon Valley worker on an H-1B visa, losing a job can threaten far more than a paycheck. It can place a family’s ability to remain in the United States at risk, even when that family has spent years building a life here. That is why a newly proposed federal rule deserves the Bay...
Palo Alto considers new permit program to limit vehicle dwelling
Facing pressure from local residents and businesses to address a growing number of recreational vehicles in local neighborhoods, Palo Alto city leaders are considering a new solution: requiring vehicle dwellers to buy permits and designating sections of Embarcadero Road and Coyote Hill Road for their habitation. In addition, the city’s pilot program would limit parking...
State bill could speed up San Jose Diridon Station rebuild
A new state bill could cut a year off the redevelopment of Diridon Station in San Jose by exempting it from California’s landmark environmental law — and the state lawmaker at the forefront of the effort is determined to keep it on track. Senate Bill 1375, introduced by state Sen. Dave Cortese, whose district covers...
San Jose mobile home residents claim park owner wants them out
San Jose Mobile Home & RV Park residents are fighting back against a landlord who they claim is retaliating against them for standing up for their rights. The residents allege property owner Monte Christo Communities has pressured them to sign new leases, written them up for small infractions and violated their personal space to take...
San Jose residents push for data center moratorium
As San Jose hammers out local review standards for data center projects, some residents are calling for the city to follow the lead of other jurisdictions and enact an immediate moratorium on new developments. The proposed standards are expected to address widespread concerns that a glut of new projects working their way through the city’s...
Affordable townhomes planned for East San Jose
A new East San Jose housing development is providing homeownership pathways for working families. For a place with a reputation as the least affordable city in the world to buy a home, AlphaX RE Capital is making housing affordable by providing below-market-rate townhomes for income-qualified households. The Kirk, an 18-home community at 125 Kirk Ave., offers interest-rate...