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California Forever CEO gives 1st tour of land purchased in Solano County

California Forever CEO gives 1st tour of land purchased in Solano County
SEE WHERE CALIFORNIA’S NEWEST CITY COULD BE BUILT. BRINGING THE CALIFORNIA DREAM TO SOLANO COUNTY. THAT’S THE VISION FOR CALIFORNIA FOREVER, A PROPOSED CITY FOR THE MEGA REGION BETWEEN SACRAMENTO AND SAN FRANCISCO. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CALIFORNIA FOREVER? I THINK IT’S THE IDEA THAT WE’RE TRYING TO BUILD SOME KIND OF A UTOPIA, AND WE’VE NEVER USED THAT WORD. WE’RE JUST TRYING TO BUILD A GREAT, WALKABLE COMMUNITY THAT EVERYDAY RESIDENTS OF SOLANO COUNTY AND OTHER PLACES CAN LIVE. IN CALIFORNIA FOREVER IS THE PARENT COMPANY OF FLANNERY ASSOCIATES, A GROUP OF SILICON VALLEY BILLIONAIRES BEHIND THE ONCE SECRETIVE $800 MILLION LAND BUYING SPREE. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT IS FLANNERY ASSOCIATES TRYING TO FIND THE HIDDEN MEANING. WHAT? WHAT IS IT? IT’S A ROAD. SO FLANNERY ROAD IS WHERE WE PURCHASED ONE OF THE FIRST PROPERTIES SIX YEARS AGO. AND SO WE JUST NAMED IT AFTER THE ROAD. THERE’S NO MORE TO IT. CALIFORNIA FOREVER FOUNDER AND CEO JAN SRAMEK LIVES IN THE AREA. I USED TO GO FISHING ON THE DELTA FOR FOR STRIPERS AND FOR FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS. AND THEN I SPEND MORE TIME HERE OVER OVER TIME. AND THEN EARLIER THIS YEAR, MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A HOME HERE AND NOW. NOW WE LIVE HERE WITH OUR KIDS. HE SAYS PLANS FOR THE 60,000 ACRES OF LAND IN EASTERN SOLANO COUNTY WOULD INCLUDE OPEN SPACE AGRICULTURE, SOLAR FARMS AND HABITAT CONSERVATION. IT’S BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE 2017. WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO FINALLY MAKE THIS PUBLIC? IN ORDER TO DO ALL OF THIS AND DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I SAID, SOMEONE NEEDED TO CONTROL A LARGE ENOUGH AREA OF LAND THAT YOU COULD MASTERPLAN THE COMMUNITY THE RIGHT WAY. WHILE THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE WATER RIGHTS SUFFICIENT TO TO BUILD A COMMUNITY AND WE’RE LOOKING AT ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL ONES. AND WE WOULD BUILD OUR OWN WATER TREATMENT, PLANT SEWAGE TREATMENT, PLANT ALL OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. WE WOULD BUILD OURSELVES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. OUR GOAL IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THAT COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE THERE. SRAMEK SAYS THE RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY IS PROMISING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AGAINST IT, AND THEN THERE’S A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WHO ARE UNDECIDED BUT OPEN MINDED. ANDREA FLORES KCRA THREE NEWS. NOW TH
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California Forever CEO gives 1st tour of land purchased in Solano County
For the first time since a company purchased tens of thousands of acres of land in Solano County, the man behind the mystery gave a tour of the land he bought.California Forever is the group comprising Silicon Valley billionaires, and they have spent some $800 million to buy more than 50,000 acres of land between Fairfield and Rio Vista. The group, which is the parent company of Flannery Associates, said it wants to build a new community on part of that land that would include open space, agriculture, solar farms and habitat conservation. Jan Sramek, the founder and CEO behind California Forever, spoke with KCRA 3 about his vision of bringing the California Dream to Solano County. He said the biggest misconception about the project is "the idea that we are trying to build some kind of utopia." "We’re just trying to build a great, walkable community that everyday residents of Solano County and other places can live in," he said. The group Flannery Associates got its name because one of the first land purchases six years ago was on Flannery Road.Sramek said he used to go fishing on the Delta and moved to the area with his wife and child earlier this year.His goals have not been met without challenge. Officials with the county have explained that building a city over what is farmland would ultimately be up to Solano County voters via approving a ballot initiative to allow for urban uses on that land. Currently, the purchased land is intended only for agricultural use.Another argument toward keeping the land's current use is that the land use policy is centered around the protection of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield.Sramek, in mid-October, attended a town hall where he took questions and concerns from community members.At that town hall, Sramek argued that the new community would help address affordable housing. He told KCRA 3 that the goal is that people who build the community could live there, too. Sramek claimed to have water rights "sufficient to build a community, and we're looking at acquiring additional ones." "We would build our own water treatment plant, sewer treatment plant, all of the infrastructure we would build ourselves and fund ourselves, so that it doesn't strain any of the other communities," he said. "The same would be the case for power and gas and all of those infrastructure elements.”California Forever recently announced a new 21-member advisory committee with people from all industries and walks of life in Solano County.California Forever is also hosting town halls in all cities in the county and opening offices in Vacaville, Vallejo, Rio Vista, and Fairfield, where people can go to learn more.Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that Princess Washington, Mayor Pro Tem of Suisun City, attended a town hall with the California Forever CEO.

For the first time since a company purchased tens of thousands of acres of land in Solano County, the man behind the mystery gave a tour of the land he bought.

California Forever is the group comprising Silicon Valley billionaires, and they have spent some $800 million to buy more than 50,000 acres of land between Fairfield and Rio Vista. The group, which is the parent company of Flannery Associates, said it wants to build a new community on part of that land that would include open space, agriculture, solar farms and habitat conservation.

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Jan Sramek, the founder and CEO behind California Forever, spoke with KCRA 3 about his vision of bringing the California Dream to Solano County.

He said the biggest misconception about the project is "the idea that we are trying to build some kind of utopia."

"We’re just trying to build a great, walkable community that everyday residents of Solano County and other places can live in," he said.

The group Flannery Associates got its name because one of the first land purchases six years ago was on Flannery Road.

Sramek said he used to go fishing on the Delta and moved to the area with his wife and child earlier this year.

His goals have not been met without challenge. Officials with the county have explained that building a city over what is farmland would ultimately be up to Solano County voters via approving a ballot initiative to allow for urban uses on that land. Currently, the purchased land is intended only for agricultural use.

Another argument toward keeping the land's current use is that the land use policy is centered around the protection of Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield.

Sramek, in mid-October, attended a town hall where he took questions and concerns from community members.

At that town hall, Sramek argued that the new community would help address affordable housing.

He told KCRA 3 that the goal is that people who build the community could live there, too.

Sramek claimed to have water rights "sufficient to build a community, and we're looking at acquiring additional ones."

"We would build our own water treatment plant, sewer treatment plant, all of the infrastructure we would build ourselves and fund ourselves, so that it doesn't strain any of the other communities," he said. "The same would be the case for power and gas and all of those infrastructure elements.”

California Forever recently announced a new 21-member advisory committee with people from all industries and walks of life in Solano County.

California Forever is also hosting town halls in all cities in the county and opening offices in Vacaville, Vallejo, Rio Vista, and Fairfield, where people can go to learn more.


Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that Princess Washington, Mayor Pro Tem of Suisun City, attended a town hall with the California Forever CEO.