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Open Letter to Hector Ruiz
An Open Letter to Hector Ruiz
CEO Advanced Micro Devices
March 9, 2005
Dear Mr. Ruiz
We understand that Advanced Micro Devices plans on consolidating its many Austin employment centers to one campus where AMD will have room to expand over the years.
We congratulate AMD on its success and commitment to staying in Austin.
AMD has long been a supporter of numerous charitable organizations in Central Texas, and we thank you for your community outreach efforts.
We are writing you in unison to request that AMD exclude from consideration for a new campus any sites in the fragile Barton Springs watershed. Stratus Properties' "Lantana" project is in this fragile watershed.
To our knowledge, none of AMD's existing facilities are in the Barton Springs watershed, and we sincerely hope that AMD will continue to locate its facilities in preferred growth corridors and not make a departure from a long-held community standard of not locating major employment centers in the Barton Springs watershed.
Locating a major campus at Lantana or other sites in the Barton Springs watershed presents numerous threats to water quality in Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer.
First, locating in the watershed would add thousands of car trips over this sensitive ecosystem. Oil, grease, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons have been detected at alarmingly high levels in the sediment at Barton Springs. Increased car traffic increases the amount of these pollutants that are dripped onto roadways which frequently lack any water quality treatment structures.
Second, locating a major campus in the watershed will spur secondary growth in the watershed, including residential and commercial development that may not intend to comply with current water quality ordinances.
Third, economic development proponents, including Opportunity Austin are actively recruiting employers to locate in Central Texas. If AMD picks a site in the Barton Springs watershed, AMD would, even if not on purpose, send a message to employers that it is acceptable to locate in the most fragile watershed in Texas.
Locating off the Barton Springs watershed would allow AMD to grow over the years without a worry about conflicting with the Save Our Springs Ordinance or other water quality measures that may be adopted in the future.
Locating off the Barton Springs watershed would send a positive message that there is room for companies like AMD to grow in Austin in concert with decades-old community planning efforts to steer growth to the preferred growth corridor.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Sierra Club, Austin Group
Save Barton Creek Association
Save Our Springs Alliance
Robin Rather
CEO Advanced Micro Devices
March 9, 2005
Dear Mr. Ruiz
We understand that Advanced Micro Devices plans on consolidating its many Austin employment centers to one campus where AMD will have room to expand over the years.
We congratulate AMD on its success and commitment to staying in Austin.
AMD has long been a supporter of numerous charitable organizations in Central Texas, and we thank you for your community outreach efforts.
We are writing you in unison to request that AMD exclude from consideration for a new campus any sites in the fragile Barton Springs watershed. Stratus Properties' "Lantana" project is in this fragile watershed.
To our knowledge, none of AMD's existing facilities are in the Barton Springs watershed, and we sincerely hope that AMD will continue to locate its facilities in preferred growth corridors and not make a departure from a long-held community standard of not locating major employment centers in the Barton Springs watershed.
Locating a major campus at Lantana or other sites in the Barton Springs watershed presents numerous threats to water quality in Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer.
First, locating in the watershed would add thousands of car trips over this sensitive ecosystem. Oil, grease, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons have been detected at alarmingly high levels in the sediment at Barton Springs. Increased car traffic increases the amount of these pollutants that are dripped onto roadways which frequently lack any water quality treatment structures.
Second, locating a major campus in the watershed will spur secondary growth in the watershed, including residential and commercial development that may not intend to comply with current water quality ordinances.
Third, economic development proponents, including Opportunity Austin are actively recruiting employers to locate in Central Texas. If AMD picks a site in the Barton Springs watershed, AMD would, even if not on purpose, send a message to employers that it is acceptable to locate in the most fragile watershed in Texas.
Locating off the Barton Springs watershed would allow AMD to grow over the years without a worry about conflicting with the Save Our Springs Ordinance or other water quality measures that may be adopted in the future.
Locating off the Barton Springs watershed would send a positive message that there is room for companies like AMD to grow in Austin in concert with decades-old community planning efforts to steer growth to the preferred growth corridor.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Sierra Club, Austin Group
Save Barton Creek Association
Save Our Springs Alliance
Robin Rather