Political news, Local politics and government news reporting in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
The City of Sunnyvale is proud to announce it has earned the coveted Prohousing Designation from California Governor Newsom and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The designation recognizes the City’s efforts to implement policies that go above and beyond state housing law to facilitate housing production. Sunnyvale is one of only 65 … Read more
The public got its first glimpse of next year’s Super Bowl agreement. With Levi’s Stadium set to host Super Bowl LX in 2026, city employees presented the terms of the agreement to the Santa Clara City Council at its Tuesday night meeting. The presentation was similar to one approved earlier this year that lays out the … Read more
Sunnyvale has passed an ordinance allowing the city to regulate household appliances and heating systems before a state law prevents it from doing so. Starting in October, AB 306 will pause cities’ ability to amend residential construction codes. So, at its Aug. 12, the Sunnyvale City Council started the process of getting an ordinance on … Read more
Deanna Santana, Santa Clara’s city manager from 2017-2022, has filed a breach of contract lawsuit claiming that the city withheld contracted compensation and benefits when she was dismissed in February 2022. The former top Santa Clara official is also claiming that, at the direction of the San Francisco 49ers, the city discriminated against her based … Read more
To accommodate Silicon Valley Power’s system expansion plan, the Santa Clara City Council approved seizing four more parcels as part of an ongoing eminent domain process. At its regular meeting on Aug. 19, the council voted unanimously to secure the latest of a slew of properties along a proposed transmission line. The 115 kV line … Read more
A proposed housing development is ruffling the feathers of some Sunnyvale residents who claim the traffic it will bring will disrupt the neighborhood’s character. At its July 1 meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved a general plan amendment to rezone a parcel located at 781 S. Wolfe Road. The property is located on the south … Read more
Sunnyvale will remove lanes in each direction along a stretch of Tasman Drive to make way for a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path. At its most recent meeting on July 29, the Sunnyvale City Council considered the results of a study that prescribes solutions to improve pedestrian and bike access between Fair Oaks Avenue and … Read more
The Santa Clara City Council altered the zoning on two parcels to make way for a pair of housing projects that will add 17 for-sale homes to the city. At its last meeting on July 15 before its break, the council approved slight increases to two properties fairly close to each other, allowing for a … Read more
To avoid having to meet below-market-rate housing requirements, the developer for a Sunnyvale housing project has turned over a parcel of land to the city. Valley Oaks Partners, a San Jose-based developer, originally planned to turn the vacant Orchard Supply Hardware site, located at 777 Sunnyvale Saratoga Road, into a combination of townhomes and below-market-rate … Read more
Two recent Santa Clara City Council decisions will continue to bolster Silicon Valley Power’s (SVP) system expansion. At its most recent meeting July 8, the council approved a contract for upgrades at SVP’s northern receiving station. The project would add five transformers — three 115 kilovolt and two 230 kilovolt — as part of SVP’s … Read more