Billionaires want to build a new city in rural California. They must convince voters first

By JANIE HAR
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Silicon Valley investors behind a secretive $800 million land-buying spree got off to a rocky start with the voters they need to build a green new city in Northern California. A former Goldman Sachs trader announced Thursday he is the founder of a group that wants to build walkable neighborhoods in rural Solano County northeast of San Francisco. Flannery Associates LLC is the single largest landholder in the county after quietly purchasing more than 78 square miles of farmland since 2018. Their secrecy has frustrated community leaders who have reached out for information, only to be ignored. The investment group needs approval from voters to develop farmland for urban use.