Cisco Expansion into Salinas Draws Fire

Major technology company Cisco Systems’ proposed a 20,000-worker campus on Silicon Valley’s southern edge is making city officials and environmentalists nervous.

The campus would be located in Coyote Valley, 45 minutes south of San Jose in the city of Salinas, Calif., a rural area with a large farmworker population. Officials in Salinas say the complex could bring an influx of Silicon Valley workers, plus increased housing costs and traffic.

Cisco says the campus would have a limited effect on housing and transportation in the area, and that the company cannot be solely held responsible for those issues. Meanwhile, Salinas city officials are demanding that the company contribute to local programs in order to offset potential problems it may bring.