California Forever–Rio Vista’s Good Neighbor (?)

By: Dennis and Merilyn Elliot

On Wednesday, January 17, senior executives of California Forever held a press conference at the Rio Vista Veterans Hall. Founder and CEO, Jan Sramek led the presentation. The purpose of the meeting was to announce the proposed “East Bay Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy Initiative” for the November ballot. The organization wanted to address public concerns regarding the formation of a new city in Solano County, detail the promised ten guarantees which will be legally enforceable if the initiative passes, and to announce the opening of a regional office here in Rio Vista.  

Jan and his staff did not take questions after the presentation, but they talked with the press and local elected officials before the meeting began.

One of the most asked questions was the necessity for a statewide ballot initiative. Other concerns dealt with the stress on water supplies from to the new city; more traffic congestion on Highway 12; Travis Air Force Base security; loss of farmland and agricultural jobs; overcrowded schools; increased taxes; loss of local retail and dining revenues; and the end of Rio Vista’s “small town” feel and friendliness.

Mr. Sramek said the initiative was necessary because of the need to change county-wide zoning and land use laws and to make enforceable guarantees to the residents of Solano County. The complete 83-page initiative is now available for public review on the www.californiaforever.com  website.

If the initiative passes, California Forever plans to build a new city spanning 18,600 acres, beginning at Azevedo Road along Highway 12, with a proposed 714-acre buffer zone separating the new city from Rio Vista. This buffer zone is intended to safeguard Rio Vista businesses from losing customers to the neighboring city. Another 40,000 acres of Solano County land owned by California Forever’s parent company, Flannery Associates, is unplanned for development at this time. This acreage is intended to remain agricultural.

The new city would be home to 50,000 residents over time and would include shopping, dining, and leisure activities. Rio Vista residents would have closer access to such things as a medical clinic, additional retail stores, and new job opportunities.

The “ten guarantees” that would be part of local and state law once the initiative is approved, are spelled out in the ballot measure’s text. Briefly, they are:

1. Solano Jobs Guarantee. The target is 15,000 new jobs for every increase of 50,000 to the new city’s population. If the goal is not reached according to specific timelines, new building and development must be put on hold until the goal is achieved.
2. Solano County Homes for All. California Forever will dedicate $400 million in down payment assistance for new home buyers in the project. The aim is to help those groups who find it difficult to purchase their first home, including Travis Air Force transfers, low-income residents, and essential workers such as police, fire, healthcare, and teachers.
3. Solano scholarships. $70 million in grants will be set aside for vocational and college students living within the project.
4. Green Solano. $30 million of funding is to be used for hundreds of acres of parks and greenbelts. This will include a solar energy power plant generating two gigawatts of electricity for homes, manufacturers, commercial, and retail enterprises located within the project. (Two gigawatts of power would serve the needs of over 150,000 average homes.)
5. Solano Downtowns. $200 million in funding and grants made available to the seven other cities in Solano County to help revitalize their downtown commercial and shopping zones.
6. Water Guarantee. Funding for this is open-ended, but the development is expected to be self-sufficient regarding water and it will be regularly certified to ensure that it is.
7. Transportation Guarantee. The city’s public transportation will be 100% self-sufficient and will interconnect with other county transportation systems. The project agrees to deed to the county, at no charge, the right of way on property fronting Highway 12 and commits to assist with future projects. (One example mentioned was help with replacing the Rio Vista/Helen Madere Memorial Bridge.)
8. Schools Guarantee. The developers will work with local school districts to ensure adequate kindergarten through high school facilities on the property, to avoid crowded campuses elsewhere in the County.
9. Small Growth Guarantee. There will be annual project growth reviews and incremental payments of the amounts listed in these guarantees.
10. Solano Taxpayer Guarantee. As spelled out in the ballot initiative, as the project expands there will be increasing Solano County property tax income, more sales tax and other revenue sources, for the benefit all cities in the county and the unincorporated areas.

Mr. Sramek also announced the opening of their Rio Vista office at 241 A Main Street. The office is staffed with personnel to help with resident questions about the project, the plans for the organization, and the content of the proposed ballot. Rio Vista resident Rich Lynn heads up the office and is the Regional Field Director. Office hours are from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm on weekdays.