Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/10/15/apple_woos_cupertino_residents_in_crucial_fruit_loop_central_vote/
PLEASE let us build Fruit Loop Central, Apple begs Cupertino City
Fruity firm asks residents to support giganto HQ plan
Posted in On-Prem, 15th October 2013 08:32 GMT
Apple has launched a last-minute charm offensive in Cupertino ahead of a council vote which will decide whether it can build a super-massive “fruit loop” headquarters in the city.
Residents still have one last chance to make a public complaint tomorrow at a meeting of the City Council of Cupertino, California, the global home of Apple.
Before the vote takes place, residents will have the chance to voice their concerns about the massive, doughnut-shaped Apple Campus II, which will house about 12,000 staff in its huge, circular expanse and – according to the fruity firm – could create more than 7,000 new jobs in the area.
Just in case anyone was thinking of scuppering its plans, Apple sent out a pamphlet to try and extinguish any vestige of opposition.
Apple would be "grateful" if all the fanbois in Cupertino would write to the city council in support of its building plans, it said. Which is probably quite likely, because almost everyone in the city has some sort of tie to Apple – who, oddly enough, happen to be one of the largest employers in the area.
This link-up was vividly depicted when Councillor Rod Sinks voluntarily decided to avoid any debates or votes on the Apple question due to a conflict of interest. His wife worked for Apple as a technical translator and the pair also held shares in the fruity firm.
"Apple has always been in Cupertino," the firm continued in its recent pamphlet. "It's been our headquarters and our home, and we want to remain and grow here," the fruity firm gushed.
"We have reached out to the community in a number of ways, and we are truly humbled by the overwhelming support and many expressions of good will we have recieved. Thank you."
The Fruit Loop is undoubtedly an impressive building, replacing a run-down site which is currently 80 per cent asphalt with a futuristic glass circle, surrounded by 7,000 trees. But with such a huge project, you would expect to see some local opposition.
Yet the extent of Apple's involvement in the Cupertino economy has totally skewed the normal run of local politics. When Steve Jobs appeared in front of a packed council chamber in 2011 to discuss his plans for the new HQ, he wasn't met by the usual chorus of nimbies and grumpy local politicans, but hordes of his most fervent acolytes. The chair of the meeting even said he was "honoured" to welcome Steve Jobs, which is probably not the sort of reception an Asda boss gets when he suggests building a new superstore smack bang in the middle of a nice little town.
There have been complaints, such as some grumbles about traffic and some gripes from environmentalists who question Apple's claims that their new headquarters will be the greenest building since Noah's Ark. There are also some concerns about what's going to happen to the hazardous waste generated during the demolition of the Hewlett Packard buildings currently on the site, but that's pretty much it.
So we want to hear from people who hate Apple's new building. Get in touch and tell us why the Fruit Loop is rotten. ®