A major obstacle to getting more housing built in North San Jose could soon come to an end.
“Here in North San Jose, we have not built a single unit of housing in more than a half-decade,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Liccardo said the cause for the hold-up goes all the way back to a 2006 legal battle, and a lawsuit launched by the city of Santa Clara and other jurisdictions against a proposed development plan.
The resulting settlement, said Liccardo, set limits on new developments in North San Jose. That slowed housing growth, but now Santa Clara leaders seem to be willing to relax the legal threat.
“And so, if we can clear that cloud by having an agreement between our two cities, we’ll be able to get housing built,” the mayor said.
For his part, newly elected Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is also optimistic. He called the moment a turning point, and said that he thinks the two cities can build a brighter future together.
“We have the golden opportunity now for regional collaboration of housing production that goes hand-in-hand with transportation,” Becker said.
Liccardo added that the hope is to put together a formal agreement in the near future.
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