It’s official, this afternoon the Solano County Registrar of Voters certified our signatures. Thank you again to the over 20,000 Solano County voters who signed to put the East Solano Plan on the November ballot. Let’s say YES to homes we can afford, jobs in our backyard, and… pic.twitter.com/h9pAjxc4Hm
— East Solano Plan (@EastSolanoPlan) June 12, 2024
A ballot initiative backed by billionaires to build a new eco-friendly community in northern California approximately 17,500 acres, has gained enough support to be listed on the county’s Nov. 5 election ballot.
Tim Flanagan, chief information officer and registrar of voters in Solano County, announced on Tuesday that the initiative had garnered a sufficient number of signatures from voters within Solano County—14,832—to make it onto the ballot.
Dubbed the “East Solano Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy Initiative,” the measure asks voters to approve the rezoning of agricultural land to designations that would allow for the development of a “dynamic new community” spanning approximately 17,500 acres in the county, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Forever, says the project will not only result in the creation of “middle-class homes in safe, walkable neighborhoods” but also lead to 15,000 well-paying jobs in renewable energy, manufacturing, construction, and other industries.
Along with new housing, the area will consist of shopping streets, schools, parks, sports facilities, community gardens, bike paths, and the largest solar farm in California, combined with a regional battery storage facility, according to its backers.
The solar farm is expected to have a capacity of 2 gigawatts, which backers say is enough to power 1.5 million homes in Solano County and across the broader region.
A minimum of 13,062 valid signatures from voters registered in the county is needed for the request to qualify for the ballot. The Solano County Registrar of Voters began reviewing the signatures submitted by California Forever, the company backing the project, in April.
Backers Pledge Millions in Investments
Additionally, the plan to build the area includes $500 million in community benefits and a $200 million commitment to invest in “revitalizing” downtowns in existing Solano cities, according to the group California Forever, which is backing the East Solano plan.
California Forever welcomed the news in a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, while thanking the “over 20,000 Solano County voters who signed to put the East Solano Plan on the November ballot.”
“Let’s say YES to homes we can afford, jobs in our backyard, and clean energy that can provide opportunity to all in Solano County,” the group said.
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