This looks like the 15 minute city for the Rich, Famous, Elites an Snobs. Multi-billionaires secretly bought land and now want to create a city of the future—where you work, live, play, go to school and have no need of the outside world. A Utopia for the rich—but watch as California laws bring in the poor, the homeless, the gangs, the illegal aliens and tear it down.
“Newsom, in his first public comments on the project known as “California Forever,” said Tuesday that he would soon meet with a representative of the development to learn more about a proposal that has provoked sharp pushback and intense interest.
“I’m as curious as everyone else,” the governor said in a forum sponsored by POLITICO. “The project is obviously interesting in terms of its scale and its scope,” he added.”
Newsom to meet planners of futuristic California city
Governor faulted secretive rollout of project that will need state help.
By BEN FOX and LARA KORTE, Politico, 9/12/23 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/12/newsom-to-meet-backers-of-tech-backed-new-california-city-00115490
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom faulted the secretive rollout of a divisive plan by prominent tech investors to develop a new California city in farmland outside San Francisco.
Newsom, in his first public comments on the project known as “California Forever,” said Tuesday that he would soon meet with a representative of the development to learn more about a proposal that has provoked sharp pushback and intense interest.
“I’m as curious as everyone else,” the governor said in a forum sponsored by POLITICO. “The project is obviously interesting in terms of its scale and its scope,” he added.
The governor’s support could be vital to the eventual success of what could be one of the largest single-development proposals in recent state history. The investors, including some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, have acquired 50,000 acres about 50 miles northeast of San Francisco into California’s newest city.
The project already faces an uphill climb to win approval because of local land use laws, California environmental regulations and a skeptical public — and state action may be necessary for it to go forward.
Newsom suggested the backers hurt their own credibility by acquiring the land over several years in such a way that fostered mistrust.
“I’ll be candid with you. They started a little behind in my book because of the fact that they let so much intrigue and so many questions so there’s a lot more doubt now and a lot less trust,” he said.
California Forever’s investors include Laurene Powell Jobs, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.
The investors disguised their identity while spending $800 million to acquire the land around Travis Air Force Base in Solano County — often at inflated prices and with strong-arm legal tactics that a local congressman called “mobster tactics.”
Backers have so far offered only vague details and idealized sketches of the proposed development along the Sacramento River in a hilly area now dotted by soaring windmills and accessible by a two-lane state highway.
The investors pitched the project on their website as an antidote to the sky-high housing prices and congested roads that have long been a feature of Bay Area life, declaring Solano County “fortunate” to have a place for the community.
“Instead of watching our kids leave, we have the opportunity to build a new community that attracts new employers, creates good paying local jobs, builds homes in walkable neighborhoods, leads in environment stewardship, and fuels a growing tax base to serve the county at large,” it said.
The investors also face anger and resentment over the way they used a holding company to quietly amass their land holdings — drawing so much suspicion that some suspected the project was an attempt by a foreign government, perhaps China, to acquire strategic property adjacent to the Travis base — Solano County’s largest employer and an Air Force logistical hub.
“It was interesting to me how quickly it went down the China track,” Newsom said. “It’s a point of consideration and caution for all of us.”
California political leaders have been critical of the proposal.
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Central Valley Democrat who chairs the agriculture committee, portrayed the development as a threat to California farming.
“What happens when urban sprawl takes over prime agricultural land and California will no longer be the breadbasket of the world?” Hurtado said at a recent hearing.
Rep. John Garamendi excoriated the investors at that same hearing, accusing them of using “secrecy, bullying and mobster tactics to force generational farm families to sell.”
“These Silicon Valley big wig billionaires should be ashamed, and they should be held to account,” he said last month.
Even after meeting with Sramek two weeks ago, Rep. Mike Thompson, another Northern California member of Congress, seemed to remain wary of the effort.
“It is clear that they don’t have a plan; they have a vision,” he said in a statement. “The secrecy under which they operated caused consternation and concern from residents, local elected officials, and federal agencies, and while they explained their rationale, I do not believe the secrecy was necessary. “
They should only use local green energy, there are wind turbines close by, close enough and that area gets a LOT of sun so they can have batteries and roof top arrays., NO other sources. All vehicles must be EV’s. All heating/cooling/cooking by electricity. NO outside deliveries via any ICE mode of transportation. Water and sewage treatment from their own sources.
The first time they complain about the planes at Travis, they place is shut down. Travis has been there way before most of these idiots were born.
We all know that the Chicom’s are drooling at the opportunity to buy property next to one of our most important Air Force Bases on the Left Coast. There is stupid and there is treason, we’re in the treason realm here.
Thank you Boris – if Newsom spouts off again for possible presidency run – would it be nice to let the public know what kind of decisions he is making towards our future, safety??????
Somehow this land buying procedure harks back to the Owens Valley and the Los Angeles aqueduct. A technologically complex design idea disgraced by chicanery.
Many air force bases have already been shut down. It might be a simple matter for the powerful rich people to get Travis closed, and they may have assumed this would happen in purchasing the acreage surrounding Travis. They would have nice runways for their multi-million dollar plush corporate jets. (Look at the deal Google made with Moffett – only Google airplanes can land at this active airfield used primarily by NASA.) And once they had the development secured, it would be worth multiple billions. Who might then sell it? This deal should have been–might have been–stopped near inception, that’s why they kept it secret until the acquisition was complete. Wonder if Newsom will be getting a secret payoff in the millions to let development go forward without objection from the State? We’ll never know, but will always suspect it if he approves development of this ginormous area. And who will bring to light the “mafia tactics” used to force the landowners to sell to these people?
@Boris:Agree 1000% and then, only if they put Newsom in as mayor/governor/overlord.
How DARE YOU KLAUS SCHWAB, “you will have nothing and you will be happy”. It is all about the billionaire elitists who want you to live in the manner they dictate to you. Marxist/Progressives need to go.