Timeline & Oversight

The November 2024 vote on the East Solano Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy initiative is the first step that starts the process for building the new community. The community remains involved and has control over the process throughout the next 40 years. Learn how here.

STEP 1 - Community Engagement

The process started with surveys, small group meetings, town halls, surveys, and other ways for Solano residents to give input on the location and type of the new community, and the guarantees the initiative should make to Solano voters. The result of this community engagement was the East Solano Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy initiative, which was published in January 2024.

STEP 2 – Vote in November 2024 to change General Plan and Zoning, subject to the 10 Voter Guarantees

The initiative will be on the ballot this November. Solano County voters will have an opportunity to start the process by approving a change to the General Plan and zoning for building of the new community, subject to compliance with the 10 Voter Guarantees.

STEP 3 – Additional Community Engagement

After its approval, the initiative legally requires additional community engagement process with Solano residents to create the eligibility criteria, allocation, and governance for the community benefits guarantees (Solano Homes for All, Solano Scholarships, and Green Solano), and for the investment guarantee of Solano Downtowns. Any final decisions must be approved by the Solano County Board of Supervisors, as they become part of the Development Agreement.

STEP 4 – Environmental Impact Report & Development Agreement

The initiative requires, before any construction begins, that a full Environmental Impact Report is completed and a Development Agreement is signed between California Forever and Solano County. The Development Agreement is legally required to incorporate the 10 Guarantees, including the details determined through Step 3.

The Environmental Impact Report is prepared by Solano County, and will evaluate all impacts of the projects, including traffic, water, open space, agriculture, and all other resources. For any issues caused, the Environmental Impact Report may impose mitigation measures to make sure the project is good for the environment. 

The Development Agreement is a long document that creates conditions upon which development may proceed. Solano County has discretion over negotiating and executing the document, and the Board of Supervisors can use this tool to ensure the project is done right.

STEP 5 – Construction Begins

After receiving final regulatory permits and approvals, construction can begin on both the solar farm and the new community. The first things to be built include water and wastewater treatment plants, new roads and streets, new schools, industrial facilities, and the first homes.

STEP 6 – Community Engagement For Each New Neighborhood

Through the 40 year build out, the initiative requires that every year, California Forever publishes plans for new homes and neighborhoods, and conduct a community engagement process for Solano residents to ask questions and provide feedback.

STEP 7 – Audits And Governance Under Development Agreement and Environmental Impact Report

The Development Agreement will include dozens of binding provisions that are enforceable by Solano County. For example, every year, the developer has to produce an annual report and make it publicly available, which has to provide numbers of homes and commercial structures completed in the prior year. By March 30th, the developer must fund the pro-rated portion of the $500 million community benefits commitments, otherwise no additional building permits are issued.

Similarly, the Environmental Impact Report often includes a number of monitoring and mitigation measures, such as for traffic and water. These have to be monitored on an ongoing basis, and if any thresholds exceeded, the government can take actions described in the Environmental Impact Report to bring those back into compliance.