Bay Area Roundup: Measure N School Bond, 105 Morgan Hill Homes, Record County Tax Roll

by Chris Renois

Voters in Los Gatos, Saratoga and parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains will decide a $321 million high school bond in next month's election, and Morgan Hill gave final approval to 105 new single-family homes off Cochrane Road. Elsewhere in Santa Clara County, the property tax roll set another record, San Jose cleared a data center permit in North San Jose, and Santa Clara's Agrihood plan change hit a roadblock.

Measure N: $321 Million Bond for Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools

Voters living in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District will see Measure N on the November 2026 ballot. The district reaches into both Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, so the measure appears on both counties' ballots, Local News Matters reports. If it passes, the district could issue $321 million in bonds, which would bring in roughly $23 million a year for Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School.

The district says the bond would cost property owners $30 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value) each year while the bonds are outstanding. For example, a home assessed at $1 million would pay about $300 a year. Its project list includes roof repairs, restroom updates, replacing old plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems, improving traffic flow in parking lots and pick-up areas, and modernizing labs, cafeterias and athletic facilities. Hoodline, citing district plans, reports these could include a parking structure and field house at Los Gatos High, plus new math classrooms, a drop-off zone along Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and a robotics building at Saratoga High. Measure N needs 55% approval to pass. The Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association opposes it. If you own property in the district, you can use your assessed value to estimate what the bond would cost you.

Morgan Hill Approves 105 Homes Near Cochrane Road

Last week, the Morgan Hill City Council unanimously approved a builder's remedy project from High Street Residential, a Trammell Crow Company subsidiary, according to San José Spotlight. The plan calls for 105 market-rate, two-story detached homes on a 15.8-acre lot along the western part of De Paul Drive. The site sits just south of Cochrane Road and east of the Highway 101 exit. Homes are planned at about 2,147 to 2,615 square feet, each with a two-car garage, and the project includes more than 21,000 square feet of shared open space.

The developer applied in October 2023, about a month before the city's housing plan was certified. That timing let the project use the builder's remedy. The city settled with the developer, and the 28.5-acre property was split three ways: the housing site, a 7.8-acre shopping center site on Cochrane Road that is set to have a Sprouts store, and a 4.7-acre parcel that will go to the city for future affordable housing. The developer will also pay $500,000 into the city's housing fund, plus more than $5.8 million in fees instead of building affordable units. The project's environmental report lists impacts that can't be fully avoided, including the loss of nearly 11 acres of farmland. No construction date has been announced.

Santa Clara County Property Rolls Hit a Record $760.1 Billion

San José Spotlight reports that the Assessor's Office's annual report puts the county's 2026-27 assessment roll at a record $760.1 billion. That is $34.4 billion (4.7%) more than last year, when growth was just over 4%. Earlier reporting by The Real Deal said most of the growth came from properties that changed hands ($16.9 billion), with another $14 billion from the yearly inflation adjustment and nearly $5 billion from new construction. That reporting also noted that about $153.6 billion in value is under appeal, almost all of it commercial. If your assessed value looks wrong, a tax professional can help you decide whether an appeal makes sense.

San Jose Rejects Appeal of NVIDIA Data Center Permit

The San Jose City Council voted unanimously last week to reject an appeal of a data center permit at 300 Holger Way in North San Jose, just south of Highway 237, according to Local News Matters and San José Spotlight. Vice Mayor Pam Foley recused herself. City planners approved the permit on July 8. It allows up to 20 megawatts of data center use inside an existing research and development building, about 97,800 square feet according to San José Inside, that NVIDIA leases from Menlo Equities. The appeal came from Citizens for Responsible Industry, a labor-backed group. It argued that the project skipped proper environmental review and could bring more noise and air pollution to nearby residents. San José Inside reports the city has turned down calls for a data center moratorium and is working on permanent development standards instead.

Santa Clara Planning Commission Rejects Agrihood Plan Change

On Oct. 7, Santa Clara's Planning Commission voted 6-1 against Core Companies' request to change the last unbuilt piece of the Agrihood site at 1816 Worthington Circle, The Silicon Valley Voice reports. Core wanted to build 44 for-sale townhomes there instead of the 160 apartments that were approved. The company said rising costs make the apartments financially unworkable. City staff recommended denial, saying the change would cut the city's housing capacity. Citizen Portal reports the vote was a recommendation to the City Council, and we have not seen a council hearing date announced.

Sources

Thinking about buying or selling in the Bay Area? Chris Renois can walk you through how these changes affect your home and your plans. Call or text (650) 512-9817, email chrisrenois@therealexperts.com, or get a free home value estimate.

This article is general information for Bay Area homeowners and buyers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws, rates and deadlines change; please confirm details with the original sources linked above or a qualified professional. Chris Renois, California DRE #02030130.