Who’s who: Tech titans funding new utopian city in Solano County
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — After years of secretly snapping up farmland for a new, so-called utopian city north of Silicon Valley and San Francisco, the CEO of a company backed by billionaire tech titans publicly pitched his vision last month.
Flannery Associates CEO Jan Sramek wants to build “California Forever,” a new city with 20,000 homes east of Fairfield. But first, the plan needs the approval of Solano County voters in November to bypass protections to keep agricultural land from being turned into urban residential space.
More than $800 million worth of rural ag land was stealthily purchased over a period of years from local farmers, some whom said they were not sure who the buyer was. Artist renderings unveiled by California Forever show designs for 50,000 residents living in rowhouses and apartment buildings.
Flannery Associates bought 55,000 acres of land in southeast Solano County within the past six years.
One of the project’s skeptics is U.S. Rep. John Garamendi. Last year he said, “Flannery Associates is using secrecy, bullying and mobster tactics to force generational farm families to sell.”
This week Garamendi said, “Bottom line is this is no place for a 400,000 person city. My opposition to this (development) is even stronger today,” KQED reported.
The ballot initiative is called East Solano Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy. The initiative proposes: “a change to the general plan and zoning to allow the creation of a new community in southeastern Solano County. Located on approximately 17,500 acres, the community is designed to eventually accommodate up to 400,000 residents many decades from now.”
Sen. Bill Dodd previously said, “Solano County voters will get to weigh in on whether they think it’s a good idea. I hope decisions are based on facts, not slogans, misdirection and massive campaign spending.”
Suspicious locals wonder, why are a bunch of billionaires bent on building a utopian community in Solano County? Who drew this vision plan together and who’s funding it?
A “Team” section on California Forever’s website lists dozens of people in random order, starting with a field office assistant.
Here is a who’s who of “California Forever” biggest financial backers:
Jan Sramek
Sramek, 36, is a former Goldman Sachs trader who is spearheading California Forever’s ambitious effort. He was born in the Czech Republic and currently lives in Solano County.
The New York Times reported that Sramek “quietly courted some of the tech industry’s biggest names as investors.”
Sramek’s biography on California Forever’s website states in part, “After a lifetime moving West searching for home, he has found it in Solano County, where he now lives with his wife Naytri, two young children, and golden retriever. Jan is excited to help build something wonderful here with our new friends and neighbors. He also can’t wait to move into the first house in the new community.”
While speaking to reporters last month, Sramek said the vision is not about money, but about tapping into a genuine desire from local officials and residents to build a sustainable community. “I’m going to make this happen no matter what,” he told reporters.
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn founder
Reid Hoffman, 55, is a billionaire entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and the founder of LinkedIn. According to the New York Times, he is currently on nearly a dozen tech companies boards, including Microsoft.
Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist
Marc Andreessen, 52, is the high-profile tech investor in Silicon Valley. Last year he opposed a plan to build multifamily townhouses in Atherton, the Bay Area’s ritziest town dominated by mansions, the Times reported.
He cofounded the web browsing firm Netscape before it was bought by AOL in 1998. He earned millions from making early investments in Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus VR, and his current net worth is $1.8 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
Laurene Powell Jobs, philanthropist
Laurene Powell Jobs, 60, of Palo Alto, is the widow of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs and president of the Emerson Collective, an investing and philanthropy firm dedicated to environmentalism, health, and education. Through Steve Jobs, she inherited a $13-billion fortune, Forbes magazine reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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