Silicon Valley billionaires reveal the first designs for a planned city in California

The Silicon Valley Billionaires Behind A A secret $800 million land-buying spree In Northern California they finally released some details about their plans for a new green city.” The Associated Press reported“But they still have to win over skeptical voters and local leaders.”
After years of evading scrutiny, Jan Ceramic, the former Goldman Sachs trader who spearheaded the effort, launched an initiative Website Thursday about “California ForeverThe site described the project as “an opportunity for a new community, well-paying local jobs, solar farms, and open space” in Solano, a rural county between San Francisco and Sacramento that is now home to 450,000 people. Meet key politicians representing the area who have tried Unsuccessful for years finding out who was behind the mysterious Flannery Associates LLC as it bought vast tracts of land, making it the largest single landowner in the county…

(To build anything resembling a city on what is now farmland, the group must first convince voters in Solano County to approve a ballot initiative to allow urban uses on that land, protections in place since 1984. Local and federal officials still have questions about the intentions. The group…California is desperate for more housing, especially affordable homes for teachers, firefighters, service workers, and hospitality.But cities and counties can’t figure out where to build, as established neighborhoods argue against new homes they say will crowd their roads and spoil their quiet way of life. .

Solano County is ideal for development in many ways. It is located 60 miles northeast of San Francisco and 35 miles southwest of Sacramento, the capital of California. Solano County homes are among the most affordable in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an average sale price of $600,000 last month. But Princess Washington, the interim mayor of Suisun, said residents deliberately decided to protect open spaces and keep the area around Travis Air Force Base free from trespass because of its importance. She suspects that the real goal of the group is to “create a city for the elite” under the guise of more housing.
The website for “California Forever” acknowledges that they have purchased 50,000 acres — about 78 square miles — “strategically located” in northern California’s Solano County with access to water and low fire risk.

The contemplative illustrations on the site “evoke a cityscape with dreamy white stucco and a Mediterranean vibe on a red roof that might be found in a Greek or Italian village,” San Francisco Chronicle writes.
There are hillside neighborhoods dotting what must be the banks of the Sacramento River, kayakers digging through lily pads, fishermen fishing from the riverbank at sunrise… The site also mentions a previously unnamed investor – venture capitalist John Doerr. Kleiner Perkins, an early investor in Google, Slack and other companies…

While California Forever may have billions to invest in the project, it will face stiff opposition from some ranchers who argue the city will disrupt the economy of a county with 62% of farmland.
the writes urban design critic for the San Francisco Chronicle “Well, here’s something new — an elevator pitch for a whole new city…”

But the website, launched by California Forever on Thursday, does not provide any real details, such as the projected population or the exact location. Instead, there are visualizations of beloved cityscapes and soothing conversations about building “a wonderful place for the Solanos.” Oh, and a heartfelt promise to “start the most important phase of our work: our conversation with you.” Let the eye rolling begin. It is impossible to criticize the vision of the investors, because what was published is so innocuous as to be an insult…

The site also indicates how this will be a hub for “economic opportunity” and “new employers”. great! But only two of the 12 shows show people at work, including one where three men install solar panels as the sun sets in the west. Let’s hope they get paid overtime… The Bay Area needs housing and jobs. It also needs honest methods to achieve this. Let’s hope that when California Forever 2.0 launches, there will be less fluff and more facts.