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. The project is still in the design phase and cost details need to be worked out before it comes back to the district board of trustees in the fall for approval.

School district employees presented some of the project’s early plans at a June 12 board meeting and most of the SCUSD trustees were excited about the project, though they raised multiple questions about the fine print.

“I share the concern with just wanting to know what costs are going to be involved, getting a little bit more detail on that, because there might be ongoing costs and we know that we have a challenging budget picture so we just want to get a better handle on that, but I think it’s very exciting,” Trustee Michele Ryan said at the meeting.

This field rehabilitation is part of the 49ers Foundation’s philanthropic work supporting the greater Santa Clara community, but it’s also coming at a pivotal time, as the city prepares to host two of the world’s largest sports events — the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl 60.

Zaileen Janmohamed, the Bay Area Host Committee’s CEO and president, said this is one of nine projects in the committee’s Sports for All initiative, as they aim to engage athletic groups throughout the region ahead of the sports events.

“It’s (one) of many legacy investments we’re making to ensure that the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup aren’t just events that pass through the Bay Area, but moments that leave a lasting impact in the communities that need it most,” Janmohamed told San José Spotlight. “This initiative is about equity, access and building opportunity.”

A spokesperson from the 49ers Foundation said they’re proud of their ongoing partnership with the school district

“Because of the relationship with the Santa Clara Lions, we thought this was a great opportunity to give them a safe and sustainable playing space for years to come,” 49ers Foundation Executive Director Justin Prettyman said during the board meeting.

Linda Connelly, Santa Clara Lions president, said she’s excited about the field rehabilitation. When the team moved in about 25 years ago, she and her husband and former president Craig Connelly personally renovated the two snack shacks and painted the bleachers.

She hopes the renovations include updating the field’s bathrooms and paving the dirt track with rubber, as the dust kicks up into the snack shack. Connelly also said she wants the field to remain natural grass, citing some of the health dangers of artificial turf.

“My concern is for the health of our children, that’s why I don’t want turf,” Connelly told San José Spotlight. “I’d rather have them recrowned or replanted with grass. The field’s all dirt, if they really want to improve this place, put a rubber track around the place. That would really improve the facilities.”

The dangers of artificial turf have been a growing debate, as Santa Clara County almost banned it in January 2025. Multiple cities have removed artificial turf fields from planned park renovations, including Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.

Trustee Andrew Ratermann wants more information on the projects, such as 49ers expectations or whether the timeline is attainable given the district’s need to run projects through state regulators. Despite his concerns, Ratermann said he’s been hearing good updates about the project’s development, and is looking forward to learning more when the full proposal comes back to the board.

“I do know that sometimes, when you get into asking questions about these details, it comes across as negative, and I don’t really want that to happen,” Ratermann told San José Spotlight. “Here is … one of our corporate entities that is reaching out to do something very positive, and I want to keep it in that positive vein.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.

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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 can gather petitions for their candidacy until July 9. Two names – Former Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao and Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor – have so far emerged in the looming race to replace outgoing Assessor Larry Stone, who is the county’s longest serving elected official and finished his last day on the job July 3. He was making more than $330,000 in total pay and benefits as of 2023, according to the government tracking website Transparent California.

Whoever emerges victorious from the Nov. 4 election – with a possible runoff Dec. 30 – could be a major influence over the region through the remainder of Stone’s term, which ends in December 2026. Not only do school districts reliant on property tax revenue have a stake. So do tech companies and speculative housing investors.

“It impacts everybody in the county – whether you’re a property owner or have kids in school,” Stone told San José Spotlight. “It’s the only elected office that I can say impacts everyone.”

Both Zhao and Fligor hail from the West Valley, where housing development has been a point of heated debate and resistance. Stone has endorsed Fligor, who served as special assistant to the assessor under Stone and helped overhaul the office’s outdated computer system this year.

“She has great relationships with county management. She’s a certified appraiser with the state of California,” Stone said. “I know of nobody else that is even close to being qualified to be the assessor and manage an $8 billion enterprise, a $700 billion assessment roll and 500,000 property owners. That’s a big job. It’s not a job for somebody who believes they can get elected because of their political background.”

Fligor wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Zhao, who earned her appraiser license after launching her candidacy, said she can bring a fresh perspective to the office. She’s undeterred by Stone’s endorsement of her opponent and argues residents don’t want a “hand off” to an “insider.”

“This is an office that should not be given – it should be earned. I plan to earn it,” Zhao told San José Spotlight.

The Saratoga resident said she’s directly fundraised more than $450,000 so far in the race – and is confident she can cross $500,000 by the July 31 campaign finance reporting deadline.

Bob Staedler, a principal at the San Jose-based land use and development consulting firm Silicon Valley Synergy, said the assessor’s office is the linchpin of how county government operates.

“I think the assessor makes a lot of judgement calls — there’s a lot of art in how you evaluate properties and how you determine how things get on the roll. And then there’s how you manage personnel and how quickly things get adjudicated, dealing with all the appeals — there’s a huge amount of appeals – and then there’s also the outward looking optics the assessor puts out about the region’s property values,” Staedler told San José Spotlight. “The assessor can set the tone in the mood of how the values of properties are doing.”

If you’re a large property owner in the valley, you’re going to support someone you feel is going to be pro-property owner, Staedler said.

“It would also be interesting to see if the next assessor will be more political – advocating for stuff in Sacramento — things like split rolls, dealing with Prop. 13, dealing with exemptions for certain properties, especially with what we’re seeing in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We could have someone with a completely different personality.”

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X.

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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 mixed use. Cementing these details will help protect some of North Sunnyvale’s grocery stores — including the biggest one, a Lucky’s Supermarket — but won’t stop development proposals that have already been filed.

The city has already received and approved development proposals for some of the sites, including Lakewood Shopping Center and Fair Oaks Plaza. The proposals include razing existing businesses to build about 182 townhomes.

The original 2017 plan was meant to encourage redevelopment of the centers. But as proposals came in, residents grew concerned that upgrading the sites threatened the removal of grocery stores and food resources in historically underserved neighborhoods.

More than 1,800 people signed a petition calling for the city to halt the projects. Himanshu Sethi, who lives in the San Miguel neighborhood, organized the petition and said he was disappointed that the council adopted the master plan without deeper protections for grocery stores and necessary retail amenities.

Sethi said he wants the city to be more specific in its zoning, because giving a broad definition of “retail” doesn’t protect businesses that provide necessary services. He wants to learn more about possible programs to support the small, family-owned businesses that’ll be displaced in the redevelopment, such as Speedy’s Tacos or Taj Mahal Fresh Market.

“The city can do a better job at planning for these things, to make sure these vital services and these vital businesses don’t go away,” Sethi told San José Spotlight. “This area will become a food desert and not enough urgency is being put into preventing this crisis.”

Councilmembers lamented Senate Bill 330, which makes it easier to build affordable and moderately priced housing by limiting local government control. The 2020 law allows developers to request unlimited waivers on city requirements, including retail requirements.

“I have heard over the past year and then from some of my residents, from my constituents in North Sunnyvale, about the impact of loss of retail, the loss of fresh food, the loss of grocery stores,” District 5 Councilmember Richard Mehlinger said at the meeting. “What makes it painful is what little power it feels that we have under existing state laws to prevent these objectively destructive changes.”

SB 330 limits the city’s ability to deny projects, so Lakewood Shopping Center and Fair Oaks Plaza are still on the chopping block. The city launched an incentive program for these locations, allowing developers to decrease or remove the projects’ affordable housing to increase their retail footprint, but the program has yet to see results.

Brittany Behr and her fiance Leland Bond moved to the San Miguel neighborhood about four years ago. They frequent the small and family-owned businesses at Fair Oaks Plaza, which they said are the only restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance of their neighborhood.

“We both really support housing and adding housing, especially making housing more accessible,” Behr told San José Spotlight. “The problem is, we feel that the land use is really inefficient and that sacrificing these businesses that are a backbone of the community isn’t the answer.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.

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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. The $124-million project was nearly canceled this month due to a funding shortfall. The city and transit agency had exhausted state and federal grant opportunities. But with Apple’s contribution, Cupertino can save the project and mitigate traffic gridlock as hundreds of homes come online.

The interchange lies between Apple’s headquarters and The Rise, a housing development designed for 2,669 apartments at the former Vallco Mall site.

The project is primarily funded by VTA’s Measure B, a 30-year, half-cent sales tax increase voters passed in 2016. Planned improvements to the interchange include a new structure that carries Wolfe Road over Interstate 280, on and off ramps, sound and retaining walls and upgraded bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways at existing street intersections. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026 and is slated to finish by 2029.

Kristina Raspe, Apple vice president of global real estate and facilities, said the company is happy to back the project’s plans for an interchange adjacent to its headquarters. Some of the Apple money was originally intended for other projects, including the McClellan Road protected bikeway improvements, but the tech titan reallocated it to fund the interchange after the city deemed the previous projects no longer feasible.

“We are proud to call Cupertino home, and to support projects that strengthen this community and make it a great place to live and work,” Raspe told San José Spotlight.

The project began nearly 10 years ago. The interchange is at the end of its useful life as a product of the 1960s, according to city reports. It’s often congested with significant delays. City officials expect it will worsen as more people move into Cupertino to live in housing developments like The Rise. Developer Sand Hill Property Company has supported the interchange project since it’s been in the works.

Councilmember Sheila Mohan has been stuck in the gridlock at the interchange many times. She said the interchange improvements will help anyone who travels Cupertino’s streets.

“It’s a really win-win, not just for Apple, but for the entire community,” Mohan told San José Spotlight. “It’s, in my opinion, the best example of public, private partnership.”

VTA was unavailable for comment.

The transit agency is also working on traffic improvements to other West Valley roadways including Highway 17 near Los Gatos.

Seema Lindskog, board chair of pedestrian and bicycle safety group Walk-Bike Cupertino, is looking forward to the project because of how dangerous the existing intersections are. She often advises high schoolers walking or biking to school to avoid Wolfe Road, but said she doesn’t want that to be the case.

“It’s been kind of on the shelf for a long time, so the fact that we’re now finally able to move forward with it is really great,” Lindskog told San José Spotlight.

Contact Annalise Freimarck at annalise@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @annalise_ellen on X.

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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 off fireworks at Lake Cunningham, but lost its reserve of fireworks in the Yolo County warehouse explosion Wednesday.

“The tragedy in Yolo County has affected multiple fireworks displays across the state,” Councilmember Domingo Candelas said statement. “While we have to cancel the fireworks, the celebration is still on.”

Cities like Sunnyvale have shifted to a festival this year, complete with carnival games and food. Last year the city hosted the county’s first drone show on July 4th, which it touted as safer and better for the environment compared to traditional fireworks.

But after thousands of people showed up unexpectedly, Sunnyvale spokesperson Rachel Davis said the city needed to rethink its budget, logistics and safety plans going forward.

“We are actively exploring holding a Sunnyvale drone show in 2026 for the United States Semiquincentennial,” Davis told San José Spotlight.

While Almaden and Sunnyvale’s light shows are a no go this year, Cupertino’s fireworks display has returned thank to a healthy budget.

Cupertino’s fireworks show, the only one in the West Valley, was canceled last year as the city grappled with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit. The city is now projecting surpluses and can fund the $42,000 show set to light up the sky at 9:30 p.m.

Viewing spots include Creekside Park, Sedgwick Elementary School and Miller Avenue near Bollinger Road. The city will close road sections for cars from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., including parts of Miller, Atherwood and Hyde avenues; Disney, Phil, Stendhal, Willowgrove, Brookgrove and Ferngrove lanes; Howard Court, Shadygrove Drive and Calle de Barcelona.

Councilmember R “Ray” Wang said he’s looking forward to having the fireworks back, in addition to the pancake breakfast and children’s parade.

“There’s very few things that bring us all together, and that’s really what we should do, is keep promoting those activities that are more inclusive, that are more encompassing,” he told San José Spotlight.

Gilroy, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View and Santa Clara also plan to have fireworks displays.

Erica Ray, public information specialist with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, said last year was particularly dangerous because the extra rain from early 2024 created more plants that turned into dry  fuel by summer. This year’s conditions are more typical, but Ray stressed fire risk is still alive.

“It’s basically normal dry vegetation conditions that we’re used to,” Ray told San José Spotlight. “There’s just a lot we really want to make sure that people understand, that all fireworks, even the safe and sane ones, are dangerous.”

“Safe and sane” fireworks are supposedly less dangerous, according to the California Health Codes. These are fireworks that don’t explode or fly. Ray said these types of fireworks are illegal everywhere in the county except Gilroy, where they can be purchased and used in designated areas.

Fire departments throughout the county are constantly on alert during the July 4th holiday.

San Jose Fire Department spokesperson Jake Pisani said the Fourth of July has the highest call volume. He added that it has the potential to delay other emergency responses.

“It puts a strain on our resources,” Pisani told San José Spotlight. “Our ability to take 911 calls, to dispatch resources, to get on a scene quickly — all of those things are greatly impacted.”

An annual city report on fireworks from earlier this year shows there were 102 fireworks-related calls in 2024, including 59 fires, 12 medical emergencies and 31 smoke and noise complaints. That’s up from 2023, when SJFD received 86 fireworks-related calls, and even higher compared to 2022 with 79 fireworks-related calls.

The city has a minimum fine of $1,000 for illegal firework use, and up to $100,000 and jail time for the illegal possession of dangerous fireworks. Residents can learn more about San Jose’s responses to fireworks at sanjoseca.gov/fireworks.

If a resident sees someone setting off illegal fireworks, Ray encourages them to call their city’s non emergency line, so the 911 emergency line doesn’t get backed up with calls. San Jose officials are encouraging residents to fill out the 311 online form to report illegal fireworks.

Three more fireworks displays will happen on July 5, at Excite Ballpark, Great America and PayPal Park. For more information on firework displays countywide, check the county’s fire department’s website.

“We really just want the public to be safe this Fourth of July,” Ray told San José Spotlight. “If they want to enjoy fireworks, please do it safely by attending one of the public displays that are planned throughout the county.”

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X. Contact Annalise Freimarck at annalise@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @annalise_ellen on X. 

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The issue of golfers trampling on Baylands plants surfaced in 2023, when a complaint from a local environmentalist prompted intervention from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. The course’s Water Quality Certification permit required the course to expand the wetlands habitat and remove invasive species, but for five years the city failed to monitor progress and file annual monitoring reports.

Since then, the city has worked with the state water board to achieve compliance with permit conditions, Chief Communications Officer Meghan Horrigan-Taylor wrote in an email. The city submitted a “current conditions report” to the board last August and has implemented additional protective measures, including split-rail fencing installation, improved signage, educational materials and a local rule that allows for stroke relief when golf balls land in wetland areas, discouraging golfers from entering sensitive habitat areas.

The city constructed the municipal golf course in 2017 to both accommodate a regional flood-control project and enhance playing conditions. The permits for the project required at least 4 acres of wetland creation and 0.2 acres of enhancements, according to a report from the Community Services Department.

Since learning of the violations in 2023, the city has been coordinating its response with the state water board, the report states. In December, Palo Alto began to prepare to conduct a “wetland delineation” to verify the extent of wetland acreage present and determine whether additional mitigation is needed. According to the staff report, the study is expected to be completed in July and will inform whether any hydrological modifications are needed.

“This will inform if any hydrological modifications are necessary to make the wetlands successful and will also just outline how many acres of the wetlands are currently existing,” Sarah Robustelli, division manager for space parks and golf, told the Parks and Recreation Commission at a recent update on the golf course.

In the meantime, staff have been working with the course operator, OB Sports, to implement protective measures near the wetlands.

“We ask people to stay out of [wetland areas],” OB Sports Senior Vice President Matt Molloy said at the May 27 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. “People chase their golf ball everywhere. For those people who know golf, they just can’t help themselves, so we really work with them on the local rule and stroke relief.”

Rebranded as Baylands Golf Links, the municipal course has been steadily turning a profit since the renovation, even despite a pandemic-era slump. The total number of rounds of golf played has increased by over 3,000 in the last fiscal year, from 56,314 to 59,526. The staff report forecasts continued growth, with revenues expected to increase by $0.3 million and more than 59,000 rounds of golf played in 2025.

Average revenue per round has also increased over time, according to the report, driven by improved yield management and demand.

The city is also looking for ways to attract new players. One such effort is a new partnership with First Tee – Silicon Valley, a nonprofit providing educational golf programs for youth ranging from second graders to high schoolers. The golf course signed a short-term facility use agreement with First Tee last October, which grants teaching facility access to seasonal practice putting greens, driving range, a portion of the youth practice area and on-course.

“We’re investing in the kids, as every golf course should,” Molloy said. “When people learn to play at a golf course, they hold that golf course in high esteem and they’ll always remember that, and they’ll always have a tendency to play those golf courses.”

The short-term agreement runs through February next year, and the city and First Tee intend to work out a long-term agreement before then, Superintendent of Community Services Lam Do said at the meeting. The process is currently underway, albeit slower than anticipated, with the primary focus being on developing the youth area and First Tee programming.

At the same time, staff is working with the National Golf Foundation on a study to determine the feasibility of adding a second deck on the driving range. The completed study will be presented at a future meeting, as will status updates regarding the golf course’s new app and other efforts to improve the guest experience.

“Hopefully, we’re moving in the right direction and we’re very happy with where things are going at the moment,” Parks and Recreation Commission chair Nellis Freeman said at the meeting. “I just want to applaud you guys on the work you’re doing on this.”

This story originally appeared in Palo Alto Weekly. Grace Gao is an intern for Embarcadero Media.

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The city’s lawsuit sought the injunction against 10 people, and Superior Court Judge Roberta Hayashi only granted it for seven in late April . The lawsuit alleges the individuals have a history of arrests for dealing drugs including methamphetamine and cannabis. If found loitering within 100 yards of St. James Park, the defendants would be arrested, according to the mayor’s office.

The injunction approach could be used in other parts of town seen as “hotspots” for homeless residents struggling with addiction and mental health issues, according to Mahan’s Tuesday announcement.

It’s the latest in a string of other arrest and ban policies Mahan has pushed to get the unhoused and mentally ill population off the streets.

City Attorney Nora Frimann, who sought the injunction said her office didn’t track whether these people were convicted of crimes — and focused solely on arrest history. This news outlet could not immediately confirm the seven individuals’ conviction histories.

“My office had the arrest information so I don’t know about convictions – the activities are what we were focused on enjoining, separate from any final criminal penalties,” Frimann told San Jose Spotlight.

The police department declined to answer questions about whether the individuals were ultimately convicted.

The NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley said the injunction strategy lacks proper due process.

“It allows law enforcement mechanisms themselves — not the courts — to determine innocence or guilt before due process,” NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley President Sean Allen told San Jose Spotlight. “We recognize they’re going to expand this. Holding people accountable is one thing. But we’re concerned that there’s a pattern of discrimination here. We also suspect this will increase use of force levels.”

Mahan’s office declined to comment further, beyond the statement announcing the injunction. Mahan said the reputation of St. James Park – a historic centerpiece of downtown since the late 1800s – has declined in recent years due to drug dealing and the presence of homeless people.

“We won’t tolerate public drug sales or use in San Jose,” Mahan said in the statement. “Public spaces like our historic St. James Park must be kept open and accessible for the entire public to enjoy. I want to thank City Attorney Frimann for ensuring we use every tool at our disposal to keep drug dealers out of the Park and invite the rest of the community in.”

A spokesperson for the county courts and Judge Hayashi declined to comment, saying state law prohibits judges from speaking to media about pending cases.

Frimann said the injunction method could be used again.

“Both the San Jose Municipal Code and state law provide the basis to enjoin activities that impact the public health and safety, particularly on public property such as the Park,” Frimann told San Jose Spotlight. “The City currently does not have a specific plan for another injunction, but this is a tool that can and will be used if there is a similar documented history of public nuisance activities in other areas of the City.”

“These individuals gather on Park benches and other structures to engage in illegal activities. Those gathered for illegal drug activities also consume alcohol and smoke, in violation of Park rules. Under the influence, these individuals urinate and litter in Park spaces,” the city’s lawsuit reads

There are plans to turn St. James in a different direction. Earlier this year, City Councilmembers moved forward on a three-party operating agreement for the future downtown concert venue between the city, the national Levitt Foundation and Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose, a local nonprofit supporting the St. James Park project. In addition to the music pavilion, the reimagined park will include a picnic grove, garden and monument walks, fountain, dog park and playground.

Allen said his organization is concerned this injunction largely targets Black and brown people and will further entice the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Jose, amid emboldened crackdowns under President Donald Trump. Several ICE crackdowns in East San Jose have sparked fear and calls for new, local-level protections by community leaders.

“The lack of due process and discriminatory harm – we’re seeing a connection between this and the ICE arrests,” Allen said.

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X.

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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 as CalFresh in California, provides low income families a stipend every month for groceries. The cuts would push the onus on states to shoulder some benefit costs—a departure from how the program traditionally has worked—and impose work requirements on certain adults. The bill is now with the House of Representatives for a final vote before reaching Trump’s desk.

In Santa Clara County, where CalFresh participation is at its highest level in the past decade, these cuts would mean some families could lose their benefits if the state can’t fill in the gap. Overall, cuts to food stamps, Medi-Cal, housing vouchers and more could cost Santa Clara County up to $1 billion in federal funding.

“The bill proposes changes to eligibility that will make it harder for families to access benefits while also shifting a significant portion of costs to states—costs that are simply untenable for state and local governments to absorb,” County Executive James Williams told San José Spotlight. “Food is essential to survival…we are profoundly concerned about what these unprecedented cuts mean for so many families in our community, and we are continuing to evaluate impacts to our community.”

As of last July, the federally funded food assistance program has more than 130,000 individuals receiving food stamps in the county, almost double what it was in 2019, according to CalFresh data.

Some 5.3 million Californians in 2024 received an average of $189 per month in food stamps, totaling $12 billion. Trump’s bill would cut the state’s CalFresh’s funding down between $5.4 billion to $2.8 billion, resulting in more than 735,000 people losing their benefits, according to the governor’s office.

Traditionally, the federal government covered food stamp benefits while costs of administering the program is shared by counties, states and the federal government. This formula works since the federal government can operate at a deficit and print money when needed, unlike state governments.

Fullwell Executive Director Eli Zigas operates a Bay Area nonprofit that creates policies to tackle food insecurity in the state. He said requiring states to cover anywhere from 5% to 25% of the benefits means cuts are inevitable.

“The federal government is walking away from its commitment to fully fund this program, and they’re pushing some of the costs onto the states without really caring whether the states can handle it,” Zigas told San José Spotlight. “Or they know that the states can’t handle it, and therefore they’ll see a reduction in the number of people receiving assistance.”

California provides assistance

While the federal government continues to pare back money for these vital resources, the California Legislature is trying to bolster some programs in a difficult budget year. Included in the state’s budget for this new fiscal year is $36 million for the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, a pilot program which allows people with EBT cards to receive instant rebates up to $60 a month when buying produce at select grocery stores.

“It’s more money than the program’s ever received,” Zigas said. “It’s an example of California providing some money to boost the safety net, but the magnitude of the SNAP cuts dwarfs that.”

The state also added $60 million for CalFood, a program that allows food banks to purchase California-grown foods for the communities they serve. Many food banks use these dollars to buy more expensive items like eggs.

“We are incredibly grateful to the governor and legislature for the $60 million in CalFood, which will help food banks serve over 6 million Californians each month,” Itzúl Gutierrez, senior policy advocate with the California Association of Food Banks, told San José Spotlight. “However, if these devastating cuts to SNAP in the Budget Reconciliation bill get passed, food banks will not be able to fill the gap. For every meal that a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine,” Gutierrez said.

During times of food insecurity, families turn to food banks for assistance—and food banks will see longer lines as people lose CalFresh benefits. However, food banks are already being stretched to the limit.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley serves approximately 500,000 people a month in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties — the same number as during the height of the pandemic. Prior to that, the food bank served 250,000 people every month through food distributions and grocery programs.

“In our two counties alone, people receive about 32 million in benefits (from CalFresh) a month,” Second Harvest CEO Leslie Bacho told San José Spotlight. “So those are dollars that people are spending in our local grocery stores. And so the cuts will have an impact, not just on individuals, but also on our local economy.

“Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included lower projected cuts prior to the passing of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’.

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X. 

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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 Wednesday. Home sales increased by 3% and accounted for 86% of roll growth.

This year marks Stone’s final assessment roll before he steps down on July 7 – marking an end to one of the county’s longest serving public officials.

“Just a few years ago, office buildings were the darling of commercial real estate investment. That’s not the case anymore,” Stone told San Jose Spotlight. “Foreclosures are almost weekly — hotels, office, some industrial. They’re just throwing the keys and giving them back to lenders.”

Stone said several significant commercial development projects have stalled due to high interest rates, surging construction cost and sinking demand for office space. Google’s “Downtown West” project in San Jose was slated to begin in 2023, but remains in limbo. Stone also pointed to “The Rise” development at the former Vallco Mall in Cupertino, a planned mixed-use development that required a redesign and cutbacks before it could move forward. The 240-acre mixed-use development, known as “Related Santa Clara,” is another significant project facing construction delays.

Surging vacancies, dropping rental rates, a shortage of big leasing deals, and the continuation of hybrid and remote work have kept the office vacancy rate in Silicon Valley at roughly 20%  for the past two years, according to the assessor’s office.

Stone said office buildings are being sold at major discounts. He points to VTA’s purchase of Sobrato Office Tower at 488 Almaden Blvd this year. Stone said VTA paid 61% of the assessed value. He said he doesn’t expect the commercial market to turn around for another few years.

Elsewhere, Stone said Silicon Valley is experiencing different trends compared to the rest of the nation.

“Job growth throughout the country is pretty good. Around here it’s not. The high tech companies have jettisoned about 11,000 jobs this year,” Stone said. “Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County are experiencing a different level of trends related to property values than you’re finding in other parts of the state or country.”

The assessment shows that while home sales are slow, the residential market is still strong.

Brett Caviness, a local realtor and former president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, said the current market has opened new opportunities for potential buyers who felt priced out due to more aggressive competition in prior years.

“We’re seeing more people able to access homeownership than they were to before. That’s a bright point,” Caviness told San Jose Spotlight. “The takeaways for me are: it’s still a good time to be selling and an even better time to be buying.”

Changes in ownership and new construction added $16.1 billion and $3.8 billion to the total increase, respectively. Business and personal property values added $1.8 billion. Nearly 8,700 properties remain in declining value status due to Prop. 8, which allowed temporary reductions in assessed value in cases where real property suffered a decline in value.

Prop. 13, which restricts property taxes, added $14.4 billion to the assessment roll. But Stone said it continues to come at a cost to schools and local governments who depend on property tax revenue to support essential services.

Slow home sales and stalled construction will likely continue to lag assessment roll growth in the years ahead, Stone said. But he’s optimistic about the region’s long-term outlook, as some of the world’s largest tech companies – Apple, Microsoft and NVIDIA – are still concentrated in Silicon Valley.

“We still lead the country in the amount of venture capital investment and a lot of it is based on Artificial Intelligence,” Stone said. “It doesn’t mean we aren’t facing trends that are pretty discouraging right now. But I think the future is bright.”

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X.

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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 housing, with 128 onsite parking spaces.

“Without the city’s funds, the project would be significantly delayed. These funds are pivotal to the project’s success,” Rob Wilkins, Northern California vice president of Affirmed Housing, told San José Spotlight.

The Arcade at 1371 Kooser Road will offer 139 apartments for those making 40% to 70% of the area median income, or between $73,700 and $129,010 for a family of four. In addition,  50 apartments will be set aside for unhoused residents and those making less than 30% of the area median income, or under $55,290 for a family of four. Two apartments will be for management. The 7-story development will feature 50 three-bedroom apartments, 48 two-bedrooms, 18 1-bedrooms, and 75 studio apartments.

The building will be partially powered by solar and have energy-efficient appliances, in addition to an outdoor area for hosting barbecues, a computer room and free VTA passes for all residents.

Construction was originally scheduled to start in 2023, but Wilkins said financing took longer than expected. Construction will commence next month, with an anticipated December 2027 completion date.

Vice Mayor Pam Foley, whose District 9 includes The Arcade site, did not respond to requests for comment.

Affirmed Housing has multiple affordable developments underway. The Berryessa Transit Center project will add 195 affordable apartments to North San Jose. The developer will transform the busy transit corridor on King Road, which runs runs parallel to the site, with several miles of bus-only lanes, bike lanes and 29,000 feet of walkways.

Last year, the developer received a $38 million grant to build the Berryessa apartments. The grant came from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, which finances projects that integrate affordable housing and environmental sustainability.

Affirmed Housing has also developed four other properties in San Jose, including Villas on the Park, San Jose’s first affordable housing development built with Measure A money, Vitalia, Fairways and Vela.

The Arcade will be the developer’s second largest project in San Jose, after the Berryessa site.

Alex Shoor, cofounder and executive director of nonprofit Catalyze SV, said the more affordable housing developed in San Jose, the better.

“Everyone is touched by the housing shortage,” Shoor told San José Spotlight. “How great will it be to have your neighbors who are homeless no longer be homeless and just be neighbors living in the apartment near you? That’s a whole lot better for everyone involved. Every homeless individual that we can get into housing in the neighborhood means they’re not on the street, on your street corner.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X.

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