Why California Forever Should Be Rejected

I’ve lived in Vacaville, California, off and on, since 1979. I moved here from Southern California, where I grew up. The main reason why I left was the job market for journalists in the Los Angeles area was so competitive. Also, a friend of mine raved about how gorgeous Northern California was.

The Southern California region is one of a kind because the ocean, desert, and mountains lie about 20 miles apart from one another. No other region in the world can offer the same thing. Imagine someone digging out of snow in Buffalo, or suffocating from 100 percent humidity in St. Louis and they saw another commercial or sporting event in Southern California. Scores of residents made the move out West to SoCal.

However, over the years, the traffic became outrageously terrible, the air pollution continues to get worse, and the cost of living is awful at best. I love LA, but the price was too high for me. So, I ventured north near the Bay Area in Vacaville.

While the weather isn’t quite like Southern California, the Bay Area was a good alternative. That was many years ago, and like Southern California, the Bay Area has seen a population explosion. The air is slowly getting worse, too. Consequently, commutes are getting ridiculous and the gorgeous hills have succumbed to bedroom communities and shopping centers.

Another Attempt to Chew Up the Hills

As I have witnessed, Vacaville went from a very scenic, small town to surpassing 100,000 residents, thanks to cheaper rents and a shopping boom with the Factory Stores. Meanwhile, outlying areas within Vacaville along with land next to Travis Air Force Base, parts of Fairfield and Rio Vista remained rural. 

There have been attempts in the past to bulldoze the hills and build on the property, and each time either through votes, public opposition, or “no” votes from local city councils, the hills have remained the same.

Now another attempt is under way. But this feels different in many ways. The project is called California Forever and leading the way are a group of Silicon Valley investors. The plan is to tear down rural land and transform it into some sort of city containing housing for around 50,000 residents, both rental and purchase. In addition, there would be shops and stores, parks and recreation. Pretty much, most things a small community can offer including jobs.

Such an extensive plan has never been introduced before, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good plan. Consider the following:

What are the Ramifications?

Let’s be honest. If this wasn’t a potential cash cow for those backing the project, there would be no project. It’s hard to imagine they have any compassion about tearing up the hills, or consider some significant future ramifications for residents or farmers.

I imagine investors can see a huge profit for the creation of this new community. They tell us this beats letting the land sit like it has for many decades, but that’s not necessarily the truth.

How Things Can Get Messy

For the first part, laying the asphalt is going to be a huge undertaking. To begin with, let’s talk about the change that has to take place on Highway 12 from Fairfield to Rio Vista as an example.

Highway 12 has to be expanded since the existing road will no longer be sufficient to handle the additional traffic. The big question lies with Rio Vista. Sure there’s enough land coming out of Fairfield, but what happens to Rio Vista? Once Highway 12 ventures close to Rio Vista south of Fairfield, it gets pretty sticky.

There’s the existing housing off Summerset Drive about a mile before Rio Vista, and the Golf Club of Rio Vista. Then you have all of this traffic feeding into Rio Vista itself. True, it’s a small stretch, but there are a good number of established businesses that have been around for many years.

Now you finally get to the big sticking point, the Sacramento River drawbridge. The bridge has only two lanes. Are the investors going to pay for bridge expansion or do we expect drivers to endure the traffic funneling the bridge as it stands now? No matter what, this can get rather nasty.

Dealing with Travis Air Force Base

Here is the elephant in the room, you might say. From the beginning when land was being purchased from foreign sources around Travis Air Force Base, many Solano County residents and representatives were getting skeptical about this power play.

What was a little suspicious was all of this was done under wraps. There were no announcements about these huge land purchases. What made it more suspicious was these land purchases were running up against one of the most important U.S. military bases in the world.

The rumors were flying. Were foreign sources behind such land purchases? What were the motives behind all of this? Finally, the investors came forward and gave us their rundown on what was going on. Did that calm any nerves? When it came to Travis Air Base’s role in all of this, this was still sketchy at best.

It was clear that the Air Force had some issues as well. While investors promised new homes for base families and job opportunities and an improvement for Highway 12, the plan was getting too close to Travis. Now it has become a security issue. 

Investors worked things out and expanded the proposed security zone from 8,000 acres to around 15,000. Investors said there will be no development within the security zone.

Still, I am having a tough time trusting these investors. They were trying to take up every inch of land possible to get their way. Why was all of this done in secrecy at the outset? It took public concerns for the investors to come forward. It also seems to me that the folks at Travis Air Force Base weren’t aware of what was going on until after the land purchases. Why not totally come forward at the beginning and not well into the planning stages? They didn’t, and that shows how trustworthy they are. 

What California Forever Offers

Clearly, the folks associated with California Forever love to tell us how this major development will make our lives much better. They’re counting on the fact that as it stands now, the hills are bare and the weeds are growing, and we need to do something with this land.

So, there are guarantees from California Forever investors, such as:

• The growth will be frozen at 50,000 residents unless the new community brings in at least 15,000 new jobs.
• A total of $400 million will help Solano residents buy homes that do not include down payment assistance.
• The new community will bring in new jobs with $70 million to help residents receive vocational training.
• About $30 million will be used for parks, trails, and open space with natural habitats.
• Downtowns will be constructed and used only as part of existing businesses throughout Solano County.
• California Forever will provide water supply to the new community for years to come.
• Upgrades will be made to Highways 12 and 113.
• New schools will be ready to open when new residents are set to move in.
• Solano taxpayers will not see any increase except new residents who live in the new community.

Is It Worth Tearing Up the Land?

On Nov. 5, 2024, Solano County voters will be asked if we need a plan such as California Forever. Do we throw away decades of open land to do the largest transformation locally since the Factory Stores in Vacaville?

Already, we are seeing construction elsewhere for new stores along with housing and apartments in many areas within Solano County with other projects on the board. In addition, unless residents haven’t noticed, there is an expansion that’s nearly completed to widen Interstate 80 from Fairfield to Dixon and beyond.

As far as California Forever is concerned are the promise of new jobs. I wonder where these new jobs are coming from? I recall such a promise was made in the early 1990s concerning open land off Vaca Valley Parkway. The promise was new businesses will rush out to purchase land. However, besides Genentech and Kaiser, very little movement took place for many years until a few businesses were constructed, but nothing like what was promised.

Consider this, what if voters approve California Forever, construction begins, but these pie-in-the-sky ideas fall short of expectations. What will happen to the space that was proposed? Who is on the hook?

The location is not too great either. For instance, road construction alone will tie things up for years and there’s that issue in Rio Vista.

There are high stakes here. Are they worth destroying the open land we are proud to have? Do we count on this brand new community to rescue us from a shaky economy? I feel like we are counting on a lot California Forever to succeed, perhaps too much. It’s quite an undertaking and I fear we will be biting off more than we can chew.