Voters in Northern California will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on a controversial proposal supported by Silicon Valley billionaires to construct a new city north of San Francisco.
California Forever, a company advocating for a plan to establish a sustainable city for up to 400,000 residents on California farmland, has gathered over 13,000 valid signatures required to be included on the Nov. 5 ballot, as disclosed by elections officials on Tuesday.
Solano County election officials stated that they have validated a satisfactory sample of signatures.
The registrar is anticipated to present the count to the county board of supervisors within two weeks, after which the board can mandate an impact assessment report.
Voters will be asked to permit urban development on 27 square miles (70 square kilometers) of presently agricultural land between Travis Air Force Base and the city of Rio Vista in the Sacramento River Delta. This land-use alteration is essential to create California Forever’s proposed housing, jobs, and pedestrian-friendly downtown.
The California Forever plan has sparked controversy.
Led by former Goldman Sachs trader Jan Sramek and supported by affluent investors including philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, the company intends to establish a new city with walkable neighborhoods, eco-friendly infrastructure, green energy jobs, and affordable housing.
This artist’s rendering from California Forever depicts walkable streets in a proposed new city in Solano County, California. Photo: AP
While proponents believe the project could help alleviate California’s housing crisis, the company’s methods have angered local residents. California Forever clandestinely purchased $800 million worth of rural farmland and litigated against farmers who declined to sell.
Additionally, environmental organizations, alongside local and federal authorities, oppose the plan, asserting that it is a speculative profit-making endeavor rooted in secrecy.
The Solano Land Trust, a conservation group, warned that such a large-scale development “would adversely impact Solano County’s water resources, air quality, traffic, farmland, and natural surroundings.”
In recent months, California Forever has been endeavoring to persuade locals of its noble intentions by offering $400 million for residents to purchase homes in the area and ensuring 15,000 local jobs with minimum annual salaries of $88,000.
Sramek disclosed that the company has devoted $2 million to the project’s campaign in the initial quarter of 2024, expecting even higher expenditures in the subsequent quarter. The Associated Press reported.
Source: www.theguardian.com
