Traffic Tops List of Concerns at Apple EIR Meeting

"Traffic, traffic, traffic," was the response one group of residents gave as the top concern for Apple's proposed new campus, at an environmental impact report (EIR) scoping meeting on Thursday night.

With 13,000 employees estimated to descend on the state-of-the-art campus near Wolfe Road and Interstate 280 once it's completed—hopefully by 2015, an Apple representative said—most of the discussion groups organized by Cupertino city staff listed it as the No. 1 issue.

More than 90 people were in attendance at the meeting in the Cupertino Community Hall, with residents from Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara participating. 

Here are some of the highlights of issues residents said they want included in the EIR report (besides traffic):

• Closure of Pruneridge Avenue.
• Hazardous waste from demolition of the old Hewlett Packard buildings; residents said they want to make sure there are no "dust clouds" that might expose neighborhoods to toxic particulates, and they want to know how waste will be disposed of.
• Protection of nearby Calabasas Creek.
• Possible relocation of the Glendenning Barn, considered an historical landmark.
• Protection of the large street trees along Wolfe and Homestead roads.
• Noise abatement during construction and once the new campus is in use.
• Balance between the number of jobs, housing availability, and impacts on local schools.

The deadline for submitting written comments about the EIR is Sept. 19.

Patch will have a full story later on Friday.