l. Introduction-Apple Campus 2 Project EIR Public ReviewI. INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE OF THIS DRAFT EIR
In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this report describes the
environmental consequences of the Apple Campus 2 Project (project) proposed for an approximately
176 -acre site in the City of Cupertino (City). This Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is designed to
fully inform City decision -makers, responsible agencies, and the general public of the proposed
project and the potential physical consequences of project approval. This EIR also examines alterna-
tives to the project and identifies mitigation measures to reduce or avoid potentially significant
physical impacts.
The City of Cupertino is the lead agency for environmental review of the proposed project. This EIR
will be used by the City and the public in their review of the proposed project and associated
approvals, including those described in Chapter III, Project Description.
B. PROPOSED PROJECT
The proposed project is the redevelopment of the approximately 176 -acre project site into a new
campus for Apple, Inc. (Apple). Apple is a corporation, established in Cupertino in 1976, that designs
and markets consumer electronics, consumer software, and personal computers.
The project site currently comprises buildings with office and research and development uses which
would be replaced as part of the proposed project. The campus would be self-contained and would
include office, research and development space, parking, employee amenities, and a central utility
plant. In addition, a segment of Pruneridge Avenue would be vacated by the City to allow for the
development of a unified and secure campus. The Glendenning Barn, currently located north of
Pruneridge Avenue, would be relocated to an on- or off-site location. As part of the project, Apple
would also undertake changes to local roadways in the vicinity of the site. The project designer is the
architectural and planning firm Foster + Partners, headed by Norman Foster. The landscape designer
is OLIN, a landscape architecture and planning firm, headed by Laurie Olin.
The project would result in the demolition of all structures within the project site (consisting of
approximately 2,657,000 square feet of building space) and the ultimate construction of 3,420,000
square feet of office, research, and development uses; 245,000 square feet of auditorium, fitness
center, and Valet Parking Reception uses; 92,000 square feet of utility plants; and parking and
ancillary buildings (such as security receptions and landscape maintenance buildings). Proposed
buildings are designed to be energy efficient and to use renewable energy, much of which would be
produced on-site (via photovoltaic infrastructure and fuel cells). Please refer to Chapter III, Project
Description, for additional detail.
1 Research and development uses are those characterized by the creation of new products and manufacturing
processes.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. APPLE CAMPUS 2 PROJECT EIR
JUNE 2015 I. INTRODUCTION
C. EIR SCOPE
The City of Cupertino circulated a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the proposed project, which
notified responsible agencies and interested parties that an EIR would be prepared for the project and
indicated the environmental topics anticipated to be addressed in the EIR. The NOP was published on
August 19, 2011, and was mailed to public agencies, organizations, and individuals likely to be
interested in the potential impacts of the project. Comments on the NOP were received by the City
and considered during preparation of the EIR. A scoping session for the EIR was held as a public
meeting on September 8, 2011. Public notices for the scoping session were mailed to approximately
20,000 households in the City, advertisements were placed in local newspapers, and the City posted
the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and hearing notice on the City's website. Notices were also sent to
households in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale within 500 feet of the project site. A copy of the NOP and
comments submitted during the EIR scoping period are included in Appendix A of this EIR.
As a result of an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of the project, consultation with
City staff and other agencies, and review of comments received as part of the scoping process, the
following environmental topics are addressed as separate sections in this EIR:
• Planning Policy
• Land Use
• Aesthetics
• Population, Employment, and Housing
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Geology, Seismicity, and Soils
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Transportation and Circulation
• Noise
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sustainability
• Air Quality
• Public Services and Utilities
The following topics are not evaluated in detail in this EIR: agriculture and forestry resources. These
topics are briefly discussed in the Effects Found Not to Be Significant section of Chapter VII, Other
CEQA Considerations.
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LSA ASSOCIATES, INC.
JUNE 2015
D. REPORT ORGANIZATION
This EIR is organized into the following chapters:
APPLE CAMPUS 2 PROJECT EIR
I. INTRODUCTION
• Chapter I Introduction: Discusses the overall EIR purpose, provides a summary of the
proposed project, and summarizes the organization of the EIR.
• Chapter II Summary: Provides a summary of the proposed project and of the impacts that
would result from implementation of the proposed project, and describes mitigation
measures recommended to reduce or avoid significant impacts. A discussion of alternatives
to the proposed project is also provided.
• Chapter 111— Project Description: Provides a description of the project site, site develop-
ment history, project objectives, required approval process, and details of the project itself.
• Chapter IV Planning Policy: Discusses the relationship of the proposed Apple Campus 2
Project with planning -related land use policies.
• Chapter V Setting, Impacts and Mitigation Measures: Describes the following for each
environmental technical topic: existing conditions (setting); potential environmental
impacts and their level of significance; and measures to mitigate identified impacts. Po-
tential adverse impacts are identified by level of significance as follows: less -than -
significant impact (LTS), significant impact (S), and significant and unavoidable impact
(SU). The significance of each impact is categorized before and after implementation of
any recommended mitigation measures.
• Chapter VI —Alternatives: Provides an evaluation of three alternatives to the proposed
project in addition to the No Project alternative.
• Chapter VII Other CEQA Considerations: Provides additional specifically -required
analyses of the proposed project's growth -inducing effects, significant irreversible changes,
and effects found not to be significant.
Chapter VIII Report Preparation: Identifies preparers of the EIR, references used, and
persons and organizations contacted.
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JUNE 2015
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APPLE CAMPUS 2 PROJECT EIR
I. INTRODUCTION