Land Use & Development Image

Santa Clara County Land Use & Development Articles



San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Property Value Growth Is Slow

The total assessed value of all properties in Santa Clara County has increased, but revenue isn't enough to keep up with cost of services.
According to the 2024 Assessment Roll, Santa Clara County’s assessed property value is $696.8 billion and …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Developer Claims ‘Builder’s Remedy’ Victory for 501-Unit Project

In an ongoing legal dispute about the use and interpretation of a state housing law, the developer of a 501-unit project proposed on Las Animas Avenue now says the City of Gilroy must allow the residential complex to proceed.

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Los Gatos Park Improvements to Fill Equity Gaps

Dead, dry grass and tree stumps covering a corner of a popular Los Gatos neighborhood park will be transformed into a new grove thanks to a financial boost.
Live Oak Manor Park, a roughly 4.1-acre, narrow strip of land nestled …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Cupertino Waives Millions of Fees for Vallco Development

Cupertino has waived millions of dollars of development fees for the largest housing development in its history after years of disputes — bringing the city closer to filling the void at the former Vallco Town Center.
The Cupertino City Council …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Residents Say 7-Story Apartments Too Big for Willow Glen

A proposed seven-story apartment and townhome project could bring 126 homes and a new retail space to Willow Glen, but many residents in the neighborhood are not happy about the plan.
Almost 200 people called in to a June 3 …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
South San Jose Tiny Homes Project Long Overdue

By next fall, San Jose aims to have a long-awaited temporary housing site on the south side of the city for homeless individuals, though some are questioning why it's taking so long.
The temporary emergency housing site will be built …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Silicon Valley Mayors Want Fair Share of $20B Housing Bond

A group of Silicon Valley mayors want to know how funds will be divided if voters pass a measure to build and preserve affordable housing across the region.
A letter signed by 12 mayors of Santa Clara County’s 15 municipalities …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Ramps Up Funding to Enforce ‘No Return Zones’

San Jose is set to pay for more employees and police patrols to enforce "no return zones" for homeless camps along the Guadalupe River and those surrounding temporary shelter sites citywide.
An initial plan to expel more than a dozen …

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Valley Water Postpones Decision on Homeless Encampment Ban

The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors on July 9 held off on a decision regarding an ordinance that would prohibit homeless encampments along waterways in the water district’s jurisdiction.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County’s Property Values Climb 5.4%

Driven by increasing residential values and despite a “troubled” commercial real estate market, Santa Clara County’s overall property assessment roll grew by $35.6 billion, or 5.4% in the last year, according to Assessor Larry Stone’s office.

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
405 Alberto Way Project to Grow by 26 Condos

The developer behind the first project in Los Gatos to fall under the SB330 law designed to streamline housing production statewide says it’s adding 26 homes to its mixed-use project at 405 Alberto Way after Los Gatos introduced a new …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara County Bond Brings Thousands of Affordable Homes

Eight years ago, Santa Clara County had less than 300 affordable apartments that served homeless individuals with disabilities. Thousands of homes have been built since then due to an affordable housing bond measure.
The county is set to exceed its …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Clara Project Pairs Hundreds of Homes With Golf Course

The owners of the Pruneridge Golf Club are teeing up hundreds of homes to be built alongside the nine-hole course — but first they must reconfigure it.
Demmon Family Partnership filed plans with Santa Clara in mid-May to build two …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Development Advances Despite Historical Significance

A former North San Jose Japanese farming area found to have historical significance, especially during World War II, could become home to more than 1,000 multi-family residences and commercial space.
The San Jose Planning Commission is recommending city officials approve …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Campbell Considers 100 Homes at Former Mental Health Facility

A Campbell housing development near the main post office could add more than 100 homes to a quiet, suburban neighborhood, stirring up concerns about an influx of new residents.
The Campbell Planning Commission unanimously approved a 108-home development located at …

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Bay Area Will Decide California’s Biggest Housing Bond Ever

A newly created regional housing finance authority for the entire San Francisco Bay Area will send a bond of up to $20 billion to the ballot. But the fate of its statewide counterpart looks bleak.

Gilroy Dispatch logo LOCAL NEWS
Gilroy Dedicates Donald ‘Elvis’ Prieto Park

The City of Gilroy celebrated two milestones for its newest downtown popup park in the past week.

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Funds Affordable Housing for Low-Income Families

San Jose leaders have approved $7.3 million in Measure E funds for a very low-income affordable housing development in South San Jose.
The $45.4-million multi-family development is the latest affordable housing project to be approved under Measure E since city …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Wage Theft Policy Compromises With Developers

San Jose could withhold certifications from big developers who use contractors with unpaid wage theft judgments in California under a new construction policy.
The San Jose City Council unanimously approved the "responsible construction" policy on Tuesday after first reviewing it …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Parks Lose Millions as Developers Get Tax Break

San Jose is cutting taxes and fees for at least 14 high-rise development projects or more than 4,000 homes in downtown.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend the existing Downtown Residential High-Rise Program to reduce …

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.
Join Us Today!