Latest Updates in Solano County: Suisun City and Rio Vista Agree to Partner on Land Annexation Talks

Rio Vista and Suisun City are moving ahead with the decision to expand their Sphere of Influence and explore annexation of California Forever lands. At City Council meetings on April 15, both cities voted to pass a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work collaboratively in exploring annexation of lands that are currently owned by Flannery Associates—California Forever’s holding.

In Suisun City, the Council voted 4-1 for the MOU agreement, the sole dissenting vote being of Councilmember Princess Washington, an elected official that has supported Solano Together from the start. This action was largely symbolic for Suisun, given that in the next item Council voted to move forward with preparing an Exclusive Agreement (EA) and Reimbursement Agreement (RA) that would kick-off a long and complex analysis and negotiations phase to prepare for potential annexation. The City voted to prepare these formal EA and RA documents by May 20th for Council consideration.

There are still many unknowns about this effort. The maps shared in the Council meeting suggested that the City was looking to annex nearly the entirety of California Forever’s East Solano Plan, even while acknowledging that there is no existing connection point to the Suisun City. There was no clear timeline for this negotiation phase, but it is expected that the process could take years. Residents in attendance voiced their concerns about the plans and the many risks and impacts associated with this kind of annexation.

The conversations about annexation were first unveiled in January 2025 at Suisun City Council meetings. Solano Together identified there was significant overlap of Flannery Associate’s owned parcels and the proposed area of expansions presented by City Manager Bret Prebula. At the time, the City denied talks with California Forever.

With Tuesday’s meeting, it became clear that the issue is much bigger than we ever expected. Suisun City is looking to develop far outside their Sphere of Influence (SOI) in an attempt to rectify structural budget deficits, even while the County’s impact report already shows the enormous infrastructure and service costs that the East Solano Plan would bring (check out the fact sheet about the impacts of the Initiative).

While we support smart solutions for Suisun City’s financial challenges, this process needs complete transparency, real community input, and a coordinated, common sense, approach to development in unincorporated agricultural lands.

These movements from Rio Vista and Suisun City represent a growing trend among cities in the North Bay to expand their Spheres of Influence to annex new territories, and potentially bypass voter’s required approval on land-use decisions. On April 14, the Solano County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) assessed whether a city can change its boundaries. Duane Kromm, from the Orderly Growth Initiative, encouraged LAFCO “to think big, not focus on one city or project at a time, but to consider the cumulative impact of many city proposals.”

Since late 2023, California Forever has conducted a shady and misleading campaign to rezone agricultural lands and build a new “utopian community.” In July 2024, California Forever hastily withdrew their East Solano Plan Initiative (learn more here) from the ballot, given a surefire loss. They promised to return in 2026 bringing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and a Development agreement, but now it appears they have found a way to bypass voter approval through the annexation process.

⚓️ Additionally, both Suisun City and Rio Vista passed resolutions recognizing the "potential economic benefit" of shipbuilding in Solano County.

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