California Farm Committee Nixed Just as Tech Tycoons Began Land-Grab
Even as a mysterious cabal of tech tycoons and venture capitalists began buying more than $800 million worth of farmland to build a utopian city in Solano County, the local board of supervisors abruptly voted to dissolve a longstanding agriculture advisory committee—just when it was most needed.
At the May 2 meeting, Solano County Board chairman John Vasquez said that the committee had long since completed its original mission, which he described as advising the board on revising the General Plan—which included new zoning for this largely agricultural county in Northern California.
The original plan was passed as a ballot measure in 1984 in response to an earlier effort by another developer to build a new city. The measure restricted development to within the limits of the county’s seven existing cities for at least 10 years. It was renewed in 1994 and then incorporated into the current county plan, which is not due for revision until 2028.