California Forever Withdraws Utopian City Ballot Measure After Damning Report
California Forever, a company supported by Silicon Valley billionaires, has withdrawn its plan to place a ballot initiative before Solano County voters in November to build a new city near Fairfield. The decision follows a critical report by Solano County, which highlighted potential financial deficits, threats to agricultural production, and risks to local water supplies. CEO Jan Sramek announced that the company will instead seek approval to amend the county's general plan and zoning through standard county processes.
The project, backed by venture capitalists Marc Andreessen, Michael Moritz, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and businesswoman Laurene Powell Jobs, has faced controversy. Flannery Associates, the company's real estate arm, previously sued landowners for $510 million, alleging they conspired to inflate prices. Despite these challenges, California Forever asserts that the proposed city could generate billions in economic activity and create thousands of jobs for the county. The company plans to prepare a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report and Development Agreement before resubmitting the proposal for voter approval in 2026.
