Santa Clara County Land Use & Development Digest

The California Department of Housing and Community Development has approved the City of Cupertino’s Housing Element, which outlines the number of units and locations of new housing to be built in the city.

One of the tools in state housing law that’s generated excitement among YIMBYs for its power to build new high-density housing could also end up leading to just the opposite: urban sprawl.

Some residents fear development could destroy parts of the historic land.

The Palo Alto Architectural Review Board voted to approve plans for a four-story apartment building project on University Avenue.

In its April 16 meeting, the Milpitas City Council approved a development project to build 118 affordable apartment units at 1300 South Main Street.

In their April 15 meeting, the Palo Alto City Council approved a proposal for a new Housing Element plan to build 6,086 homes by 2031, to be submitted to the state.

Last year, dozens of cities around the Bay Area missed the deadline to come up with a state-approved "housing element" — a plan the state requires cities to submit every eight years showing how they will accommodate their share of the 2.5 million homes that California must build by 2031.

After being rejected twice by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the Palo Alto City Council is set to consider and vote on a new Housing Element plan.

The Planning Commission considering a 44 unit Palo Alto teacher housing development in the Ventura neighborhood remains unconvinced as to tenant affordability.

In its annual review of Capital Improvement Projects, the city is considering how to prioritize over 300 planned infrastructure projects in the face of tightening budgets.

In its April 9 meeting, the Mountain View City Council considered changes in the R3 zoning regulations to promote housing density and growth in designated areas.

A San Jose-based modular apartment firm is teaming up with a South Korean real estate company to build 700+ units of affordable housing to a 3.2 acre site at 7 Topgolf Drive in north San Jose.

Planning is underway to expand the homeless tiny home facility at 5898 Rue Ferrari in South San Jose with an additional 124 beds, a laundry area and community center.

The Los Altos City Council approved a new fee schedule for building, engineering and planning services after discovering it had been undercharging by up to $1.9M annually.

The owners of Mountain Winery are seeking to develop a boutique hotel and 255 units of housing on the Saratoga property.

The City of Santa Clara is struggling to maintain aging infrastructure and is now facing $624 million in unfunded repairs and upgrades, according to City Manager Jovan Grogan.

At a recent breakfast with local business leaders, PG&E executives outlined upcoming projects to improve reliability and increase capacity in the Silicon Valley region.

Los Altos is making incremental improvements to the downtown with new trash bins, e-bike stations, solar lighting and the introduction of "parklets."

Hundreds of residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains are facing limited access in and out of the area due to a creeping landslide affecting Mountain Charley Road.

The developer for the 240 acre former golf course proposed amending plans to include 1.6M square feet of light industrial space in the stalled project.

As energy costs go up and awareness of the environmental footprint increases, people are turning to energy consultants for energy audits and advice.

Rumors are flying that California Forever is using dodgy tactics to gather signatures.

A report commissioned by the City of Palo Alto noted serious safety concerns for users of CalTrans designed bike lanes based on the high speed vehicular traffic on El Camino Real.

Mayer Greer Stone says the city is committed to building 6,000 homes over the next decade, including downtown on California Avenue and in other areas.

Two office buildings located at 515 and 545 North Whisman Road in Mountain View have been foreclosed by their lender, adding to other recent foreclosures in the region.

Alliant Strategic Development has applied to build 88 apartments at the site of the former Flood School in Menlo Park at 321 Sheridan Drive.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is adding his support for a local ordinance drafted to assist low-income tenants in San Jose remain in their neighborhoods.

A permit application has been filed to convert the historic Bank of Italy office tower in San Jose to 100+ units of housing.

Last weekend, President Biden signed a package of bills that included $205 million in construction funding for Sites Reservoir, a proposed $4.5 billion project planned for the rolling ranchlands  west of the town of Maxwell, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

The 7410 square foot building at 445 Bryant Street is city-owned, with rent to be used to fund programs specifically for Palo Alto youth and teens.

The Santa Clara Planning Commission denied a conditional use permit for a development at 2805 Bowers Avenue involving the replacement of an existing two-story building with a new four-story data center.

After two years of planning, Cupertino is ready to begin the contractor bidding process and then start construction of the $4.8 million project.