14 DAY TRIAL // Apparently, Google is not just a huge and extremely profitable company, concerned only with sales, revenue and statistics, as it has recently surfaced that it also wants to make its employees happier by building them residential areas closer to the place they work in. The current headquarters of Google are located in Mountain View, California, and they mainly consist of numerous office buildings by the Highway 101.
Those who are employed at the giant company, regardless of their position, are currently commuting with highly equipped buses (so well equipped, that they also have Wi-Fi) from San Francisco. Granted, the Googleplex also features a large cafeteria and a gym area, as well as childcare possibilities nearby.
Understandably, this state of affairs is no longer convenient for Google, as it is becoming larger and larger with every product it releases, therefore the employers need to get more productive and to feel more reassured while at work, without worrying about leaving their homes unattended.
In order to put an end to this uncomfortable situation, Google has sent an official letter to the City of Mountain View to suggest it to increase the residential opportunities around the Googleplex (a.k.a the North Bayshore region). An excerpt from this letter states that, “Our goals for Google's HQ are to provide a future redevelopment that is nurturing and regenerative to the environment, provide a vibrant community and worklife balance for all, and efficiently manage transportation and pedestrian access needs. This must include mixed uses (office retail and residential) along with the kind of land use development described in the Final Report by the Mountain View Environmental Sustainability Task Force. We encourage you to be the model Silicon Valley community leading the way with visionary development opportunities, to create the most efficient sustainable and fiscally supportive plan to the community of Mountain View and the North Bayshore area.”
Probably this initiative would have been much appreciated by the Mountain View City Council if the areas in question had not been zoned exclusively for commercial uses, in other words, there are considerable changes to be made to the zoning strategy. The authorities' response was that a meeting would be scheduled to further analyze Google's proposition and its subsequent implications, also offering the company a chance to enlarge on their suggestions and present their vision. In other words, the plan was not officially refused and there is plenty of room for discussions and negotiations, so we just need to wait and see which decision will be taken.