California Forever billionaires drastically scale back Bay Area mega-city plans — only to get rejected

California Forever’s billionaire backers have drastically scaled back their grand plans for a new Bay Area metropolis, temporarily shelving their proposed megacity to focus an 11th-hour Sacramento push on fast-tracking a massive shipyard.

But the scaled-back plan suffered another setback Tuesday night when Solano County supervisors voted not to support the special legislation after a contentious five-hour meeting.

The narrower “Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act” would accelerate approvals for a proposed 1,350-acre shipyard and maritime manufacturing hub in Solano County, while seeking no special treatment for the sprawling new city that has been the centerpiece of California Forever’s vision.

The vote dealt a political blow to the billionaire-backed developer, which has spent months hunting for a legislative lifeline in Sacramento while encountering fierce local resistance and skepticism from two Democratic lawmakers representing the area.

During the meeting Tuesday, supervisors heard a gauntlet of speakers slam or support the shipyard proposal as negotiations in Sacramento continue in the frantic final days of the legislative session.

Some public speakers sang songs, including a man who pulled stuffed animal weasels out of his vest. Others talked about the need for more jobs.

Jeff Deiss, a Vallejo resident, called the proposal a “sweetheart deal.”

“The only thing unique about this is the deep pockets of the people that are promoting it,” Deiss said.

Supporters countered that Solano County should seize an opportunity to attract thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs.

Selena Perez, a local veteran and Solano County resident, offered supervisors what she called some “Millennial wisdom.”

“Scared money don’t make money,” Perez said. “Let’s be bold for Solano County.”

The still-unauthored bill does not apply to California Forever’s separate proposed megacity or provide special approvals for its development.

The legislation would fast-track approvals for a shipyard and maritime manufacturing hub, including streamlined environmental review and permitting. It comes after the shipyard effort suffered a setback when defense startup Saronic chose Brownsville, Texas, over Solano County for its planned $3.2 billion Port Alpha complex.

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson and state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, two Democrats representing the area, are engaged in the negotiations, but neither has committed to carrying the legislation despite a Sacramento Bee report that cited sources saying they are on board.

Wilson’s office issued a statement Tuesday night indicating that she will not be advancing legislation on the shipyard.

“Solano County leaders have made clear they do not support the proposed Solano Maritime and Manufacturing Act at this time, and I will continue to let the county take the lead on shipbuilding and manufacturing opportunities,” Wilson said. 

“Federal and private investments are being made in shipbuilding, and I want to ensure California has an opportunity to compete for those investments. I will strive to keep Solano County part of that conversation and pursue only what is most desirable and beneficial for Solano County residents.”

Cabaldon’s office said on Tuesday ahead of the county vote that the latest proposal is consistent with his support for shipbuilding because it has been stripped of California Forever’s controversial proposed city.

“The language for the bill is very narrow and does not include the proposed city,” Beth Rimbey, a spokesperson for Cabaldon’s office, told The Post in an email. “The senator has always supported shipbuilding and jobs.”

She added, “Who is going to front the bill is also still TBD.”

Tuesday’s vote could further complicate California Forever’s long-running push for a Sacramento breakthrough. Last year, Wilson and Cabaldon indicated they would not pursue an earlier shipyard bill without support from county elected officials.

The Post revealed in July that California Forever CEO Jan Sramek quietly met with Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 1 in the governor’s office. Following that meeting, Newsom’s economic development chief, Dee Dee Myers, urged state officials to support the proposed shipyard and manufacturing hub as opportunities of “statewide significance” and “national security.”

Meanwhile, California Forever enlisted former Democratic legislative leaders Darrell Steinberg and Bob Hertzberg as part of a six-figure lobbying push.

California Forever is backed by a who’s-who roster of Silicon Valley billionaires, including Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, Michael Moritz and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison.

Officials behind the project did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Earlier this month, The Post revealed that California Forever had been holding weekly meetings with Solano County officials over the proposed shipyard but had never submitted the preliminary application needed to begin the local approval process.

“There was nothing submitted, so this never happened,” Debbie Vaughn, Solano County’s assistant county administrator, told The Post.

“I don’t know how else to say it. There was never a project submitted.”

County officials said they had offered California Forever an expedited conventional approval process. The developer countered that the timeline and possibility of years of litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act made that option unappealing.

The newly drafted legislation would create a special approval process to allow qualifying shipyard and manufacturing projects to rely on Solano County’s 2008 environmental review, largely eliminating the need for additional review under CEQA.

While the Board of Supervisors has no power to pass or kill the state legislation, Tuesday’s vote formally denied California Forever the local support its legislative push had sought. The scaled-back proposal now faces an uphill climb with the legislative session set to end Aug. 31.

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