Is the “California Forever” project over? If not, it would have been seriously injured.
Last year, news broke that a company backed by a Bay Area billionaire had spent $800 million to buy 60,000 acres of farmland in Solano County and was trying to transform it into a brand new city. After lobbying the local community and promising them “the moon,” the project officially qualified as a ballot initiative, allowing residents to vote to approve the project in November. On Monday, however, the project’s backers officially withdrew the ballot initiative.
Just days ago, Solano County government released an impact report stating that the project would impose a significant financial burden on local taxpayers, lead to a surge in local traffic, and may even “be financially detrimental in the long run.” Not feasible.” run. A government report compiled by the county’s Board of Supervisors estimated taxpayers could be on the hook for $6.4 billion during the project’s initial development phase, ultimately costing the city as much as $50 billion before final completion.
California Forever has now updated its website to clarify that the ballot initiative has been withdrawn and that the developer will pursue an alternative course of action to achieve its outcome.
Backers of the plan hope to bypass some traditional requirements and seek legal approval from voters before crafting a full environmental impact statement or development agreement. On its website, the project now includes a “joint statement” from itself and Solano County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mitch Mashburn, which admits the decision “was a mistake” that “put the entire project in political jeopardy” ization, keeping us in trouble” and our employees working with them and forcing everyone in our community to take a side. “
There appear to be many other mistakes made along the way. In fact, the county’s impact report focused on the severe budget shortfall the county would have to overcome if the project became a reality. Essentially, as it currently stands, the development lacks significant funding, and it’s unclear where the money will come from. Suppose the county could create what’s called a Community Facilities District (CFD), a special tax district that could generate more revenue by taxing homeowners’ properties to fund government services. But the report said this would not ultimately solve the massive budget problems that have led to a significant increase in the deficit.
The report states the scheme will also create additional traffic congestion for local communities. “Significant congestion is expected on motorways and local roads,” the report said.
Other issues cited in the report include a lack of transparency or clarity from the developers to the local communities most affected by the project. Local city manager expresses concern about ‘technical details’ [of the project] The report states that “such as water supply, infrastructure and environmental mitigation” are effectively missing.
“Overall, the project’s financial viability is questionable due to high infrastructure and public service costs, resulting in large annual deficits, and no clear revenue source,” the report concluded. The report added that local city leaders “are concerned about Skepticism was expressed about the proposed initiative, citing insufficient information and possible negative impacts on transport, water resources, the environment and existing communities.”
Gizmodo reached out to California Forever for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
