Land Use & Development Image

Santa Clara County Land Use & Development Overview



California Local Pin Marker Get To Know A Group

This nonprofit trust was founded in 1998 to protect rangeland in California. It has conserved more than 340,000 acres that support livestock, wildlife, and rural communities.

California Local Pin Marker Local Land Use & Development Digest

Learning Through Burning: Moss Landing Fire Exposes Need for Changes in Battery Facilities

02/15/2025

AS HOST TO the largest battery storage facility in the world, on a site that just had its fourth fire in four years, the people of Monterey County have grown to realize that Moss Landing is a learning laboratory for California’s green energy transition.

Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator

02/14/2025

In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, State Farm asked for an “emergency” premium increase of 22% on average for California homeowners. Lara today denied the request pending more information.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Apartment Project to Reduce Affordable Housing

Plans for a housing development near Japantown have changed, with the number of affordable apartments being significantly reduced.
The San Jose Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday, with Commissioners Melissa Bickford and Pierluigi Oliverio absent, to recommend the City Council approve …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Cupertino Hotel Project Pulled Amid Slow Hospitality Sector

A Cupertino hotel that would have provided millions of dollars for the city is no longer in the pipeline, as the hospitality sector continues to struggle post pandemic.
Los Altos-based De Anza Properties has pulled its 7-story De Anza Hotel …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Historic Los Gatos Hotel Could Be Replaced With 155 Homes

More than 100 homes could displace a longstanding, landmark hotel in Los Gatos.
The Los Gatos Planning Commission unanimously recommended a proposed 155-townhome development Wednesday that would replace the Los Gatos Lodge. San Ramon-based SummerHill Homes is slated to develop …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Opens Multi-Story Modular Housing Site for Homeless Families

A South San Jose modular housing project for homeless people is finally opening after months of delay due to issues with mold, plumbing and structural safety.
The 3-story temporary housing campus situated on a 2-acre lot at 1 Branham Lane …

Los Gatan logo LOCAL NEWS
Council Enthusiastically Approves 209-Unit Los Gatos Meadows Senior Living Project

In stark contrast with the antipathy shown towards the slew of affordable housing developments that have cropped up in Los Gatos in recent months that seek to bypass local control, the Los Gatos Meadows senior facility has now achieved final …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose to Rezone Land Near Airport for Business Development

San Jose is eyeing patches of vacant land underneath the San Jose Mineta International Airport flight path for commercial use.
San Jose planning department officials want to rezone about 11 acres of unused, city-owned land along Coleman Avenue and West …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
San Jose Mayor Sees ADUs as Housing Crisis Quick Fix

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said the Los Angeles wildfires created a rare opportunity for the state to build tens of thousands of new homes for displaced residents while simultaneously tackling the housing crisis.
Mahan made his proposal to the …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Mountain View Looks to Update Its Plan to Tackle Homelessness

For nearly a decade, Mountain View has poured money into programs and services to try and turn the tide of homelessness in the city. But it still has not been enough to stave off housing insecurity for a large number …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Silicon Valley Water Agency Flops on Outreach Ahead of Sweeps

Santa Clara County’s largest water agency has begun banning homeless encampments on its property, reversing a commitment to let nonprofits and advocates do outreach prior to enforcing its new policy.
Although Valley Water planned to start training nonprofit groups to …

San Jose Spotlight logo LOCAL NEWS
Los Gatos Senior Housing Development Back on Track

An older adult community in Los Gatos is on its way toward a major overhaul, providing what officials said are much-needed homes.
The Los Gatos Town Council unanimously approved the Los Gatos Meadows development Tuesday, a 209-home, multi-story project dedicated …

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.
Select Facebook Feed From Menu