RIO VISTA, Calif. — California Forever announced Wednesday its proposed city plans and the ballot initiative coming to voters later this year.
The initiative promises many things, including over $700 million in funding for various projects, but it won't be official until the group collects enough signatures to put it on the November ballot. It's something they’re planning to do as soon as possible; the required 13,224 signatures will be collected from February through April, according to the Solano County Registrar. Read the entire initiative HERE or at the bottom of this article.
The announcement marks the first officially released plan for what could be coming to Solano County.
The plan includes zones for industry and technology; maker and manufacturing (city planners described it like R Street in Sacramento); neighborhood mixed-use for housing, parks and businesses; and downtown and district centers.
California Forever planners describe the plan as a “dynamic new community, with homes people can afford in safe, walkable neighborhoods” offering jobs, grocery stores, bars and restaurants, civic institutions, schools, parks and more.
California Forever says folks can expect the new city to be a classic, American urban block structure similar to downtown Rio Vista, Vallejo and Fairfield.
California Forever city renderings, map designs
The city itself would sit between Travis Air Force Base and Rio Vista and be roughly 18,600 acres — Vacaville is roughly 18,830 acres and Rio Vista is roughly 4,544 acres. Plans show it would be connected to Rio Vista through shared parks, but not touch Travis AFB.
Back in the 80s, Solano County voters voted to keep the land agricultural and to expand/infill existing cities, but the initiative — if passed as written — would change that.
Travis Air Force Base
Land owned by Flannery Associates LLC around the base will remain untouched to double the existing buffer zone due to concerns about national security and the safety of the base. According to a press release, the base would have to approve if developers want to create solar farm technology in the area.
Transportation
Getting in and out of the city is another large concern for Solano County residents as the project will have to use Highway 12 and 113 as a main line of transportation.
California Forever is proposing a new northern bypass in hopes of getting traffic off 12 earlier than later. The bypass, if built as planned, would diverge off of Highway 12 near Denverton Road and go around the north side of the city to connect to Flannery and Canright roads near Rio Vista.
Bus Rapid Transit lines would be available through the city in a grid with the proposed transit hub somewhere in the middle of the project. The Solano Transportation Authority confirmed to ABC10 they have heard from California Forever, but are waiting to see official plans before commenting further.
Promises
Scaled to the first 50,000 people and increasing by population, the numbers currently promised are as follows:
- $400 million for down payment assistance for Solano County residents, Travis AFB families and construction workers
- $200 million for renovating buildings in existing downtown areas across Solano County
- $70 million for college scholarships and funds
- $30 million for parks, green spaces and agriculture across Solano County
There were no mentions of where the funds would come from.
California Forever officials say they guarantee taxes or fiscal obligations will not impact any Solano County resident or business outside of the proposed city. They say they guarantee to improve highway safety and capacity for Highways 12 and 113 with land and funding. They also promise to build new schools to prevent overcrowding in nearby communities.
There were mentions of allowing nearby cities to use their renewable energy power, which they would be enough to power 1.5 million homes.
California Forever promises to create at least 15,000 jobs paying at least 125% the Solano County average weekly wage. The plan did not specify what kinds of jobs they would be or if they would be permanent.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, the average weekly income in Solano County in the second quarter of 2023 was $1,283. That works out to about $61,584 a year. Under the 125% promised by California Forever, that's roughly $1,603.75 a week or nearly $77,000 a year if working full time.
The financial commitments and promises of jobs are legally binding due to the initiative. California Forever says they are "enforceable by the county." It is unclear what enforcement would look like.
View the entire initiative here:
WATCH MORE: California Forever in Solano County, explained
