Construction to begin at The Rise following years of delay In a big win for the Vallco project, the Cupertino City Council granted approval to advance the largest single housing project in Cupertino’s history. Palo Alto-based developer Sand Hill Property Company will kick off construction in the coming months once the necessary permits are obtained. After years of delay, Sand Hill Properties prevailed even amid a challenging economic environment. Tina Kapoor, deputy city manager, expressed how The Rise reflects Cupertino’s commitment to catering to its residents’ diverse needs. She remarked ..read more

No clear favorite has emerged among the 11 candidates vying to replace Rep. Anna Eshoo, who announced her retirement late last year, according to a new poll conducted by independent research firm Probolsky Research and funded by San Jose Spotlight. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo led the pack, with 16 percent of respondents saying that they plan to vote for him in the March 5 primary. Coming in second is Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian with 13.3 percent, followed by Rishi Kumar, a high tech engineer who previously ran against Eshoo, at 7.5 percent, and California State Assemblyme ..read more

San Jose tech giant eBay has secured a ‘deferred prosecution’ agreement with the US Department of Justice stemming from a 2019 stalking and harassment campaign that shocked the Bay Area and the nation and led to the felony prosecution of seven former employees at last count, and six convictions to date. The deal includes a $3 million criminal penalty payment and formal admission of ‘all the relevant facts about its conduct’ by employees and contractors – including stalking through interstate travel, stalking through electronic communications services, witness tampering and obstruction of justi ..read more

The City of Cupertino is one step closer to seeing more housing delivered due to a legal case concluded this week that enforces the “Builder’s Remedy” provision of California law designed to ensure cities adequately plan for and ultimately deliver needed housing. YIMBY Law and the California Housing Defense Fund have won a stipulated judgment against the City of Cupertino for the city’s late housing element, one of a series of lawsuits against cities filed last February.  Cities had a deadline of January 31 of last year to complete their plans for their share of housing through 2031. In C ..read more

More layoffs are coming for Bay Area tech workers, according to multiple recent reports ranging from state filings to corporate announcements to industry watchdog sites. Cisco will lay off 350 staff by Oct. 15, spread across its San Jose and Milpitas offices, with the largest share of employees in software engineering roles.  The new cuts bring the company’s total Bay Area reduction to more than 1,000 employees so far this year. Employees were notified earlier this summer. Mountain View’s Google also recently announced ‘hundreds’ of fresh job cuts in a global all hands meeting last week ..read more

The return to office clock is ticking down for Bay Area tech workers as several large employers enact new attendance protocols and others prepare staff for new in-person requirements anticipated to begin after Labor Day. While the intent is similar, approaches continue to vary widely, according to reports.  Last week, an internal memo from Meta warned about a crackdown on attendance accountability, telling employees that failure to fulfill a three-day-a-week obligation beginning September 5 could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Google began transitioning emp ..read more

The Sunnyvale City Council solidified plans this week for up to 20,000 new homes including up to 4,000 affordable homes and 10 million square feet of new commercial space at Moffett Park in the city’s Bayfront area north of 237. On Wednesday, the Council unanimously approved the updated Moffett Park Specific Plan and the related Environmental Impact Report for the 1,156-acre site between Moffett Federal Airfield and Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Wednesday’s approval follows a five-year effort towards a comprehensive update to the Moffett Park Specific Plan first adopted in 2004. The update “maintai ..read more

The City of Santa Clara has been working to update its Public Outreach Policy for planning applications. Community feedback as well as best practices have been incorporated into a draft of the updated policy. The public is invited to provide comments on the draft updated policy which is posted on the City’s website through July 21, 2023. Comments can be made through the Konveio online platform posted on the webpage or by emailing Assistant Director of Community Development, Reena Brilliot. The updated draft policy with track changes showing modifications from the current adopted policy is also ..read more

This Saturday, San Jose is celebrating the expansion of a local PlayGarden with new all-inclusive features. The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) Department, Mayor Matt Mahan, Councilmember Dev Davis, Rotary Club of San José, and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy invite residents to celebrate the ribbon cutting ceremony for the expansion of the Rotary PlayGarden. This expansion offers new all-inclusive play features for children of all ages and abilities. The new amenities allow for imaginative play and exploration of natural settings, which include a labyrinth, an upside-d ..read more

Last week the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) staged an organized protest in front of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. The demonstration focused on demands of Apple TV+, the tech giant’s streaming service, by its writers for increased pay.  The news of the protest comes as ongoing strikes by writers in Hollywood ahead of labor negotiations have left California’s storied film and television industry in a state of limbo. The protest in Cupertino reflects a shift in attention away from Hollywood and towards the corporate headquarters of the companies whose content streaming services a ..read more