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Santa Clara County Land Use & Development Articles



Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Developer Proposes 104 Homes in North Gilroy

A Morgan Hill-based developer has submitted plans for a 104-unit housing project on an 18.3-acre parcel in unincorporated Gilroy.

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Allows Housing Development in Business Districts

The dynamic in three San Jose neighborhoods is about to shift, with a greater focus on residential development.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to change the neighborhood business districts of Japantown, Willow Glen and 13th Street to allow for …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Still Lacks State Approval on Housing Plans

Santa Clara County is nearly two years behind on receiving state approval for its housing plans, allowing developers to push projects forward in unwanted ways.
County officials submitted their fourth draft of the housing element on Nov. 1 and expect …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Affordable Housing Replaces Day Care Project

A North San Jose site originally planned for what city officials described as a new day care center is shifting gears to an affordable housing complex.
McKenzie Dibble, project manager for housing developer Danco, said during a Monday meeting with …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Mountain View Considers Tightening Rent Control on Mobile Homes

It has been three years since Mountain View approved a rent control ordinance for its mobile home parks. Now it is looking to update the ordinance to offer more protections for tenants who are struggling to keep up with annual …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Mountain View Approves 8-Story Affordable Housing Development

Making some tradeoffs to get more homes built, Mountain View backed an affordable housing development that will support lower-income residents, but will have very few parking spaces for them.
CRP Affordable Housing is proposing to build an eight-story apartment complex …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Palo Alto Feuds With Contractor Over Public Safety Building

As Palo Alto’s most critical infrastructure project nears the finish line, the city remains embroiled in a dispute with the main contractor, a conflict that is threatening to further raise the costs of the $120-million public safety building.
The project …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Palo Alto Eyes Upgrades for Car-Free California Avenue

California Avenue will finally get some love next month, when Palo Alto’s contractors start painting two-way bike lanes, implementing colored paving and installing planters at the entrance points of the eclectic retail district that expelled cars and welcomed dining tents …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Assessor Faces First 2026 Challenger

With almost 30 years of experience, a Silicon Valley property tax collector is quite protective of his elected post — especially with cash-strapped schools and public services at risk. But that doesn't mean his reelection can't be challenged.
Santa Clara …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
East San Jose Business District Gets Grant to Beautify Area

Alum Rock business advocates are getting a $100,000 grant to not just beautify the neighborhood, but also solidify the East San Jose district’s cultural identity.
Councilmember Peter Ortiz said he secured the grant during the city’s recent budgeting process to …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Leaders Toss Public Hearings for Infill Development

San Jose officials are aggressively moving forward with filling housing gaps in existing neighborhoods, but experts say the proposal needs to go further.
The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the strategy known as infill housing, following housing …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose’s First Homeless Safe Sleeping Site Opens in March

San Jose officials are sharing more details about the city’s first safe sleeping site for homeless residents as the March opening draws near.
Mayor Matt Mahan and city housing officials spoke with residents on Monday about how they'll convert the …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Campbell Squeezes 20 Townhomes on Less Than an Acre

Campbell is putting in homes wherever it can, including more than a dozen townhouses on less than an acre, to meet its housing goals.
The Campbell Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a 20-townhome development on 0.8 acres at 90 …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
North San Jose Residents Spar With City Over Neglected Community

One North San Jose neighborhood has endured more than 50 years of neglect — and residents are fed up with false promises from city officials. They want to step in and improve their historic community.
Alviso residents woke up early …

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
‘Governors Are Going to Have to Create a New System’: Leaders in the West Lambast Insurance Industry Over Rising Costs for Homeowners

Smoke and burned trees are pictured near Sylvan Lake State Park during a wildfire that erupted south of Eagle in the White River National Forest on June 20, 2021. With intense wildfires becoming a greater threat in the West, homeowners …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Cuts Fees for Multifamily Housing Developers

More multifamily home construction could be in San Jose's future, with the approval of a new developer incentive program.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted 9-1 to squash financial penalties for developers who build less than the required …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
New Luxury Apartments Could Boost Downtown San Jose

Business and city leaders are touting the recent opening of a 23-story apartment building as a major win in the effort to bring more people into downtown San Jose.
Representatives of Boston-based developer Morro, San Jose Downtown Association leaders and …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Wants Tourism to Save Iconic Farmlands

Fruit picking, wine tasting and weddings — Silicon Valley leaders want to preserve the romance of their farmlands through tourism as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” gives way to strip malls and tech campuses.
The Santa Clara County Board of …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Leaders Approve Scaled-Down El Paseo Redevelopment

San Jose housing advocates are expressing concern over a recently-approved development that dropped its pledge toward more than 100 affordable homes, including a former vice mayor.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a modified plan to redevelop …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Plans Tiny Homes on Cherry Avenue

A long overdue agreement between San Jose and Santa Clara County's largest water agency to build housing for homeless residents has been greenlit and is slated to break ground next month.
The San Jose City Council unanimously voted on Dec. …

Featured

Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.