A piece of Alviso history just went up in flames—and some locals wonder if the blaze could’ve been prevented. The historic H.G. Wade Warehouse in Alviso was destroyed after a fire broke out in late June. For residents struggling to preserve the spirit of a neighborhood that predates the Civil War, the loss of one of their...
No plans yet for first Google-San Jose funds
Google recently paid San Jose its first installment of funds as part of the tech giant’s deal to flood city coffers in exchange for a downtown campus. The tech giant agreed to pay $3 million for “immediate community stabilization” within 30 days of the City Council’s May 25 approval of its Downtown West project. Payment...
San Jose closing in on herd immunity for COVID-19
San Jose has partially vaccinated 85% of eligible residents for COVID-19, becoming the first major American city to reach the milestone, according to Mayor Sam Liccardo. Whether that constitutes herd immunity remains to be seen. In partnering with Santa Clara County, the most populous city in the Bay Area has partially vaccinated more than 740,000 residents...
Santa Clara County to receive Reid-Hillview Airport toxicity report
Santa Clara County has started the process to close Reid-Hillview Airport, but its future—and the supposed danger of lead exposure to surrounding residents—hangs on an upcoming health survey. The survey, conducted by the county, will be released to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 17, according to county officials. It will examine whether residents in Reid-Hillview’s flight path—the Latino-heavy...
Another candidate joins Silicon Valley Senate race
Jaime Raul Zepeda doesn’t have the political experience like his opponents. He says he doesn’t want it. “If candidates are funded by the exact same special interests who have funded everyone else before you, it’s going to be the same conversation,” Zepeda, 38, told San José Spotlight. “I don’t want to start my campaign by...
San Jose residents defy orders, light fireworks
San Jose residents lit up the night sky on Independence Day, ignoring weeks of pleas and threats from city and county officials to not set off illegal fireworks. The full scope of the evening’s explosive festival is not available yet, but the first batch of data is a mixed bag. The San Jose Fire Department...
Cost of lumber leads Silicon Valley builders to embrace new tech
The cost of lumber skyrocketed during the pandemic, but local builders say things are looking up. “It’s still above (the) norm, but it’s coming back down,” said Russell White, general manager of Lendlease America’s design-build division. “We expect the volatility to come back within normal constraints.” The price of lumber is $756 per thousand board...
South Bay government agencies won’t mandate vaccines
Unlike their counterparts in San Francisco, Santa Clara County government employees won’t be required to get COVID-19 shots any time soon. Last month, San Francisco announced all 35,000-plus city workers will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine once one is fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “The city and county of San...
Staedler: Opportunity Housing should be decided on by a vote of the people
One of the most hotly-debated topics in San Jose is Opportunity Housing. It is widely hailed as a leading strategy for solving San Jose’s housing crisis. Let’s take a look at it. The city of San Jose’s planning website says “Opportunity Housing refers to enabling multi-unit housing on properties with a Residential Neighborhood General Plan...
What stocks do Santa Clara County lawmakers own?
One Santa Clara County lawmaker owns stock in more than 60 companies, including tech giants like Apple, Google and Facebook as well as gas and utility companies such as Chevron and Exelon. The review of public stock holdings for Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors follows an April analysis of San Jose councilmembers’ stock portfolios....