Untold Stories from Residents Living Near Apple Park’s Construction? Zone

Since the development broke ground back in 2013, Apple Park has become an increasingly hot-button topic. Between the monthly 4K drone fly-overs intended to showcase the project’s construction progress, and the incessant media hype surrounding Apple’s ornate, 2.8 million square foot second home in Silicon Valley, some might argue that we’ve heard just about everything we really need to know as far as Apple Park is pertinent.

A thought provoking exposé published this week by The New York Times, however, seeks to shed some light on an entirely different aspect of the project: how Apple Park has impacted the myriad of communities in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and their surrounding sub-divisions, whose residents for the last four years have literally been living on the front-lines of it all.

The Negatives

As with any construction project, some of the more vocal residents living in nearby communities have been complaining about issues like being woken by loud noises early in the morning, unpredictable erection of roadblocks causing horrendous traffic bottlenecks, and the presence of ‘construction dust’ which some claim has caused damage to their cars. To calm many of these concerns, Apple has reportedly begun issuing free carwash vouchers to local residents who call in about these more personally damaging issues, as the company continues examining “options” to help appease disenchanted residents.

“Homestead Road, the thoroughfare that separates Apple Park from Birdland, became its own subject of debate,” the report said. “Cupertino officials wanted to construct a tree-lined median to calm traffic. Apple offered to cover the costs. But homeowners objected. Residents complained that the island would eliminate one lane, backing up the heavy traffic even more. When 20 or so neighbors approached a Sunnyvale town meeting in solidarity, the city ended up siding with the residents.”

For its part, Apple convened a meeting between residents of the 110+ communities surrounding Apple Park, specifically asking for their input and concerns about the project before construction even began. And while the company supposedly sent out mailers to the roughly 26,000 households multiple times thereafter, warning about many of the same issues over which residents have lodged complaints, Apple’s vice president of real estate and development, Dan Whisenhunt, says the company continues to respond to community concerns as best it can, in a timely and orderly fashion.

“And if the issue is serious enough, I will personally visit to see what is going on,” Whisenhunt affirmed.

The Positives

Even despite all the backlash, however, the majority of Sunnyvale residents say they’re thoroughly enjoying the thrill of life with a giant, glass-encompassed Spaceship parked right across the street, which has not only resulted in a massive uptick in tourism and, in turn, a major boost to local businesses, but local real estate values have likewise shot through the roof in recent years.

“Onlookers snap pictures of the spaceship from the streets. Amateur photographers ask residents if they can stand on driveways to operate their drones, hoping to get a closer look at Apple Park.”

“I just say, ‘Hey, go ahead,’” said Ron Nielsen, who lives in the Birdland community of Sunnyvale, an upscale enclave of stucco-plastered homes located directly across the street from Apple Park. “Why not?”

Real estate agents in Sunnyvale and the surrounding areas, meanwhile, told The New York Times that since Apple’s plans were announced back in 2011, home prices have, in some instances, nearly doubled. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom home measuring just 1,400 square feet, for example, could have easily been scooped up for around $750,000 just five or six years ago — however, since then, the same home’s value has doubled to $1.5 million. On average, real estate agents cited in the report suggested that prices for local homes have increased by about 15 to 20 percent per year; and those who’re looking to relocate to the area should come with a willingness to offer between 20 and 25 percent over asking price just to seal the deal.

Of course, while Apple Park is shaping up to be quite the monstrous, game-changing new property in Silicon Valley, it’s worth noting that only time will tell what kind of lasting effect the campus (which will eventually serve as the new work site for 12,000+ full-time Apple employees) has on the surrounding areas and their long-term economic and emotional stability.