For several years now, the California Forever group has been gathering property rights to a large swath of land in unincorporated Solano County. Recently, their efforts have coalesced around a proposal to expand the existing Suisun City municipality eastwards along California Highway 12. Much of the plan is proposed to take place over a 20-year period, and exact details may be subject to change in that time. However, the recently released documents provide a first look into some of the group’s concrete objectives.
Foremost, California Forever is pursuing a collaboration with the Suisun City municipal government to execute its plan. Under the current strategy, this would expand the city’s land area by more than 22,800 acres and increase its population by more than ten times its current number.
Approximately 7,100 acres of the annexed land would be established under a specific area plan, with 6,080 of those acres included in the 20-year initial development period. Early estimations of the land use expect as many as 65,217 new dwelling units to be built in that period, accounting for a population increase of 150,000 residents. The larger ‘Full Buildout’ plan would utilize the remaining 15,700 acres to further expand housing options for up to 400,000 new residents.
Suisun City Expansion Specific Plan, image via California Forever
While the need for new and accessible housing inspired the founding of California Forever, the developers envision a complete community, with parks, businesses, and other spaces for residents or visitors to enjoy. Early estimates include more than 2,000 acres in natural, agricultural, and civil open spaces. Park uses may include arboretums, pedestrian areas, bicycle paths, public playgrounds, plazas, and equestrian trails.
California Forever pedestrian view of a potential park, rendering by SITELAB Urban Studio and CMG
The project’s next step is for the location to be evaluated in a broad Environmental Impact Report. The report, submitted through CEQA, will assess the 22,873-acre annexation area to determine its environmental viability. This will include not only the impact on the natural environment, but also incorporate data that will be used to determine the project’s effect in relation to nearby residents. Since the project’s proposed position is in eastern Solano County, directly south and southeast of Travis Air Force Base, long-term development will have to consider proper land use surrounding the military base.
Besides the environmental considerations, the plan will require more detailed plans for transportation to and from the buildout location. The current site placement is largely isolated from existing transportation infrastructure. While the plans can currently account for internal transportation for residents within the district, more details are necessary to show how it expects to meet California Forever’s stated intention of being well-linked to both the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Suisun City Expansion Placed within Solano County, image via California Forever
Despite the many hurdles remaining on the project, plans have advanced considerably from their starting point. Furthermore, while the project concept is new to California, other similarly motivated developments have succeeded elsewhere in the United States, such as the Rouse Company’s development of Columbia, Maryland. With the Notice of Intent now formally released, advocates of the plan have significant reason for excitement.
Suisun City Expansion Current Site Overview, image via Google Satellite
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Such complete bs. I hope the good people of Solano County reject this and insist that development happens WITHIN the current cities, not in some pathetic sprawl appendage.
Read up. It’s not a “sprawl appendage” in any measure. It’s (unfortunately) the only way to make progress on building walkable, dense new cities for lowerish costs and without endless regulation and NIMBY backlash.
I hate to agree, but I kind of do. If we have to put more people in areas with poor transit and driving connections, this money would be MUCH better spent rebuilding Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville with greater density. 6-8 story development would still be pretty mild and could vastly increase population and support more dense commercial services. greater density in those cities would support light rail and increased frequency of service to the Bay Area and to Sacramento.
But we shouldn’t even talk about ripping up open farmland and wetlands until we fully densify the existing Bay area, and last I checked cities are still fighting mid-rise buildings in logical, transit-friendly places (looking at you, Lafayette).
I want to like this project, and I hope it goes through and they build it out.
But it’s hard to get excited for something that looks like an expanded downtown San Ramon. A main street lined with 3 story buildings is just, lol. We have the creative license to build a city from scratch, and they re-create Cal Ave in PA. lmao….
But I am a YIMBY, so build it. the more housing the better.
I mean this is a NIMBY’s dream because it literally is in nobody’s backyard.
This isn’t just housing, it is a freaking city! It is beyond stupid to even think that it should be built.
Here is a wile banana in its natural habitat. Its biggest fear, housing being built anywhere. They try to blend in with the NIMBYs but have been excluded.
I drive the back roads to Vacaville regularly and am astounded at the amount of traffic at certain times of day. How would they possibly expand Highway 12 to be able to handle the amount of traffic that would be coming through? This is beautiful farm land and marsh land and it kills me to see it destroyed. I pray that this continues to get voted down.
Just one more lane bro.
None of this will ever be built, nor should it. Building a totally disconnected, 100% greenfield city on flood and fire prone agricultural land is beyond stupid. It is cheaper, easier, and better in a laundry list of ways to build infill (which is made easier by new state laws). Even in that region, it would be far preferable to build up around the Capitol Corridor stations and increase the frequency and reliability of that line.
This project is good for Suisun. Good for Solano county and most importantly good for California. We have not built anything in California other than unaffordable sprawl lately This is a development that includes affordable housing and manufacturing facilities where residents can work.
Suisun will have a tax base and can finally thriveand grow into the beautiful city it has always been
Idk if this is a good or bad idea, but I definitely thought they were aiming for something … more/better/transformational. This looks like a bigger Walnut Creek but further away from job centers. Seems a bit underwhelming compared to the political, financial, and structural lift needed to get this done.
It’s literally are white flight for techno fascist grifting assholes, what do you expect?
Couldn’t even spring for trams in the render. These people are clearly not serious about urbanism.
Yimby’s not beating the allegations that they are bootlicking yuppie shills for techno fascists and real estate tycoons.
I have been saying this for years and nobody believes me.
There is such a myriad of reasons that this is a horrible idea. No to California Forever. Find out the real scoop at California ForNever on Facebook
More housing no matter where it’s built, is needed. I really hope this gets built. Everything from Rio Vista to suison must be developed, period.
Why? Leave it to the animals.
Anybody spend time out there? Windy af. I don’t think that’s shown in the mock ups. Makes for beautiful farm/open space. And windmills. Why build more dismal exurbs?
horrible idea all around
Big fat no. A better option would be to make Fairfield a proper city. Just say no to pathetic greenfield sprawl for tech bros.