California Forever pulls East Solano Plan from November ballot
A group pushing for a new development in rural Solano County between Fairfield and Rio Vista has voluntarily withdrawn their request for voters to approve an override of a local growth ordinance in the upcoming election.
On Monday, officials with California Forever said they will no longer pursue the November ballot initiative and will instead work with Solano County officials to develop and submit an application for a general plan and zoning amendment, then will “proceed with the normal County process which includes preparation of a full Environmental Impact Report and the negotiation and execution of Development Agreement.”
“As part of the normal County process, California Forever will reimburse the County’s costs for this future work, including both staff time and external consultants,” Mitch Mashburn, a Solano County Supervisor, confirmed in a statement.
The decision to withdraw the ballot initiative comes one day before the Solano County Board of Supervisors was set to review an economic impact report on the first and build-out phases of the East Solano Plan. A preliminary summary of the report indicated the plan would lead to higher traffic congestion and impacts to the environment. The report also concluded the plan could lead to tens of thousands of temporary and permanent jobs.
California Forever is not abandoning plans for the community, but will be charting a different path toward what is essentially the same goal.
“We believe that Solano County has the opportunity to forge a new path towards the California Dream for this generation, and generations to come,” Jan Sramek, the CEO of California Forever, said in a statement.
“We also believe that we must move forward with urgency – because delays are not just a statistic — they have a human cost,” Sramek continued. “As the father of two toddlers, I’m reminded of this reality every day. For every year we delay, thousands of Solano parents miss more mornings, recitals, and bedtime stories because they’re commuting two hours for work. They cannot get those magical moments back.”
The decision to withdraw the plan from the November ballot and recalibrate over the coming two years validates some concerns from members of the community that California Forever was acting too quickly to get voter approval for their community, without having a full plan to address certain elements like public safety, infrastructure improvement, water rights and traffic.
Sramek said California Forever will work with the county over the next two years on the plan, and return the “full package” for approval in 2026.
“This creates opportunities to incorporate additional community input, and then provide everyone with access to objective analysis, and the full terms of the Development Agreement, including the community benefits,” Sramek affirmed. “We believe that with this process, we can build a shared vision that passes with a decisive majority and creates broad consensus for the future. We’re excited about working with the Board of Supervisors, its land use subcommittee, and county staff to make this happen.”
Congressman John Garamendi, who represents much of Solano County and who has been a critic of the East Solano Plan, said in a statement he approved California Forever’s decision to work with the County to begin the process for a general plan and zoning amendment.
“This approach, which includes a full Environmental Impact Report and a negotiated Development Agreement, is a crucial step toward ensuring that any development in our community is sustainable, transparent, and beneficial for all residents,” Garamendi said in a statement.
He continued: “From the beginning, I have maintained that the proposed project was only a pipe dream, not a true plan. Rushing the process without thorough environmental and community review would have been disastrous for the existing residents of Solano County. Thanks to a required report by the County, we now know the scope of these costs. According to the report, the development would have created a nearly $200 million annual deficit for the County.”
“Today’s decision to follow the normal County planning process provides the opportunity to address critical issues such as governing structures for the area, strengthening Travis Air Force Base, providing adequate water resources, solving transportation challenges, and ensuring financial viability for the entire County,” Garamendi concluded. “I thank the Solano County Board of Supervisors for prioritizing the needs and voices of our community. I am committed to supporting the County’s efforts and will continue to work with all parties involved to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for Solano County.”
Solano Together, a grassroots organization that opposed the East Solano Plan, viewed the decision to pull the November ballot initiative as a win for their efforts.
“California Forever knew that their guarantees were not binding,” the group said in a statement, referring to a list of “10 Guarantees” that California Forever offered to support their development plan.
“They knew the impact of their proposals on traffic, Travis Fir Force base, the environment, agriculture, existing cities and more,” Solano Together continued. “Instead of taking the time to deeply engage in a transparent process of what their proposal means to the county, they decided to deceive the public to try [to] get their initiative passed.”