A football field in Santa Clara could be on tap to receive a long overdue upgrade. The 49ers Foundation and Bay Area Host Committee may partner with Santa Clara Unified School District to rehabilitate Townsend Field, which is connected to Buchser Middle School and home to the Santa Clara Lions Youth Football and Cheer club....
Next Santa Clara County assessor could reshape the valley
The outcome of the $13 million special election for a new Santa Clara County assessor will shape housing development and school funding in Silicon Valley. Nominations will be open from July 14 through Aug. 8 for candidates seeking to do one elected job: Determining property taxes. Candidates who wish to avoid paying a filing fee...
Sunnyvale’s retail protection plan falls short
One of Sunnyvale’s proposals to build more housing threatens to demolish several grocery stores, and city fixes haven’t patched the problem. The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved an overhaul of the Village Center Master Plan Tuesday. The new plan redefined how seven aging retail spaces, called village centers, will be zoned for commercial, residential and...
Apple rescues Cupertino’s transit project
A significant West Valley interstate project was about to be abandoned. Then a tech giant stepped in with millions of dollars. Cupertino, in collaboration with VTA and Caltrans, can move forward with the Interstate 280 and Wolfe Road interchange improvement project thanks to a roughly $4 million donation from Apple to bridge the remaining funding gap....
Santa Clara County Fourth of July fireworks to light up the sky
While some Fourth of July celebrations have been canceled, numerous cities and venues throughout Santa Clara County are going all out with festivities and fireworks. There are eight light shows across the county ready to dazzle residents. San Jose is hosting the city’s first drone show at Lake Cunningham. The city had planned to shoot...
Rule change to steer golfers away from Palo Alto wetlands
After fielding complaints about golfers damaging sensitive wetland habitat in the Palo Alto Baylands, the city has installed fences, added signage and instituted a new “local rule” in an effort to keep the area pristine. The issue of golfers trampling on Baylands plants surfaced in 2023, when a complaint from a local environmentalist prompted intervention from...
San Jose park loitering injunction could spread to other areas
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and the police chief are touting a new court-ordered injunction that bars suspected drug dealers from downtown St. James Park as he eyes the strategy for other public spaces. The city’s lawsuit sought the injunction against 10 people, and Superior Court Judge Roberta Hayashi only granted it for seven in...
Santa Clara County could lose millions in food assistance
The federal government is abandoning its role in providing critical social safety nets, advocates and policy watchers warned. The Senate reconciliation bill would cut $186 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It would be the largest cut in the program’s history. SNAP, known...
Santa Clara County property values up while growth slows
Santa Clara County property values are seeing their lowest growth in more than a decade due to economic uncertainty and stalled development. Yet the total net assessed value of all real estate and personal property – known as the assessment roll – reached a new height of nearly $726 billion, County Assessor Larry Stone announced...
San Jose to add more multifamily affordable housing
The construction of nearly 200 affordable apartments will break ground next month in South San Jose. San Jose City Council unanimously approved a $73.7 million multifamily housing revenue bond on June 10 to close the remaining gap needed to finance the $160-million affordable housing development with developer Affirmed Housing. The 191-apartment complex will be 100% affordable...