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Santa Clara County Land Use & Development Overview



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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

San Jose’s First Safe Sleeping Site for Homeless Residents Set to Open in March

12/20/2024

San Jose officials are sharing more details about the city’s first safe sleeping site for homeless residents as the March opening draws near.

Campbell Approves 20 Townhomes on Less Than an Acre as City Looks to Fill Housing Void

12/20/2024

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 E. Latimer Ave. last month.

California Local Pin Marker Recent 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 …

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.
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