Suisun City Could Annex Land for California Forever

A firm backed by Silicon Valley billionaires may bypass Solano County voters to revive its stalled plan to build a city of 400,000 residents near Travis Air Force Base.

The City Council in Suisun City voted 4-1 to look into annexing unincorporated land outside its borders, which could take in the 60,000 acres of farmland secretly bought by California Forever to build its city east of town, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The Fairfield-based firm led by Jan Sramek put the controversial project on hold this summer before it had a chance to go before voters in the fall. The reason: a scathing report saying voters lacked details on how the plan would impact finances, traffic and basic services.

California Forever now plans to go on the ballot in 2026.

Critics of California Forever say the cash-strapped, 4.2-acre city could annex the land, allowing the developer to make a partial end-run around the California Orderly Growth Initiative, which requires that any project in unincorporated parts of the county must be approved by voters.

If Suisun City gobbles up the California Forever-owned land to the east, part of the new transit-oriented city would not have to go to the voters for approval.

Nate Huntington of the Greenbelt Alliance, which is a leading opponent of the plan, criticized Suisun City staff for not mentioning California Forever in its recommendation that the city explore annexation.

He said the city should focus on infill development within its Downtown, along its waterfront and around the Amtrak station.

“California Forever sees a city that is strapped for cash and they see a foothold as a way into the county,” Huntington told the Chronicle. “I would urge you to be wary of who you are working with and thinking that developing outside the city limits will solve the budgetary crisis.”

Mayor Alma Hernandez and City Manager Bret Prebula made a case for why the city should explore growth to fill its financial coffers. The city of 28,000 residents generates $27 million in general fund revenues, less than half the $60 million generated by nearby Benicia, with 26,000 people.

Hernandez said terms of any deal with California Forever would be negotiated by the city and would have to be approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. She also scoffed at a critic who accused her of engaging in talks with the developer.

“If there is a city leader, a mayor or a supervisor not meeting with Flannery Associates, or California Forever, they are not doing their job,” she said. “This isn’t about California Forever, this is about Suisun City.”

The city is bordered by Fairfield to the north and west, Travis Air Force Base to the east and Suisun Marsh to the south.

The land that Suisun City considers annexing — between Travis Air Force Base, Suisun City and the new city — is part of California Forever’s proposed “Travis Security Zone,” which would limit uses to agriculture, open space and solar farms, according to the Chronicle.

An unidentified spokesperson for California Forever said the group is “committed to working with all stakeholders to build a stronger Solano County. If we receive an invitation to explore annexation by Suisun City, we would be open to a conversation.”

Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader, has said the proposed sustainable city 60 miles northeast of San Francisco would be a safe, affordable place for middle-class families in walkable neighborhoods near jobs.

The master-planned development would include tens of thousands of homes, businesses, a youth sports complex, parks, bike lanes, open space and a large solar farm.

The planned city is supported by Bay Area business groups, but faces strong opposition by many elected officials and environmental groups concerned about the loss of farms and habitat, who say Sramek’s plan is a speculative land grab that’s short on details.

— Dana Bartholomew