# Mysterious company buys land next to Travis Air Force Base in California. What's going on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479 "2023-08-12T19:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/21 "2023-08-13T01:34:08Z")
Corporations and fat cats always believe that they are entitled to take advantage of others and others are entitled to be taken advantage of. Anything else is unnatural and unAmerican! So sue 'em! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/22 "2023-08-13T01:34:36Z")
I suspect the buyer has connections to congress and we’ll all be paying for that land some day at a far higher price than it’s selling for today. Foreign interests are red herrings, probably planted by the buyer. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/23 "2023-08-13T02:06:34Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > That’s some pretty dry and barren ranch land south and east of Travis, and pockmarked with vernal pools. Not at all fit for urban development. A wind farm would be a possibility. Got plenty of that in the area. The times I’ve been through there on I-80, IIRC, I don’t recall that area being very windy. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/24 "2023-08-13T02:21:48Z")
As a Vallejo native, I can attest to plenty of wind in the hills between there and Fairfield. As you head east on 12 toward Rio Vista, you’ll see lots of wind turbines. ---
**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/25 "2023-08-13T02:25:27Z")
I was stationed at Travis and can confirm it’s a windy area. We had days where we were not allowed to open or close the cowl doors on the C-17 because they were light and strong winds would turn them into a sail, essentially. I remember closing the cowl doors one time in winds that were just under the speed where we were not allowed to close them and it was a little bit of a struggle to keep the door under control. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/26 "2023-08-13T03:08:27Z")
Maybe Disney is thinking of relocating out of Florida? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/27 "2023-08-13T05:45:15Z")
[![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrgKBag6iaYPjTtJnhhFTLqADyPFnmFmxTLw&usqp=CAU) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrgKBag6iaYPjTtJnhhFTLqADyPFnmFmxTLw&usqp=CAU) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/28 "2023-08-13T06:48:01Z")
Thanks to the locals for verifying that it’s windy there! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/29 "2023-08-13T13:17:41Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Maybe Disney is thinking of relocating out of Florida? Hmm. That is not as wacky as it sounds. The whole SF bay area as a local catchment, plus the air connections to everywhere from SFO & OAK? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/30 "2023-08-13T13:54:29Z")
Boy, that would please Ron DeSanctimonious and stick it to him at the same time. Win-win. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/31 "2023-08-26T01:20:45Z")
So it seems these land purchases are because a company called Flannery Associates wants to build a new city. They’ve spent more than $800 million on land purchases and are backed by some big Silicon Valley names like Michael Moritz, Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon. [Gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/25/business/land-purchases-solano-county.html?unlocked_article_code=EHaysdJYgPP3vgDDIV_IGBBK38ZC4khHPzM_6G9MHR0YQ5ZZ2km3OA2JkSCSCqbKXNGMRp67TW8s99P-dQZoDD6UnRpn5nwP8ShnzL1REUBpgmic6b9MJ9lGlyBS77qX4Ko3bV0-zPdLvH8KiKoA7z4I5nWwo3mCkIdlChZoBrKMvDqE0vIUvqX2MmjCdOxP0EMkG-Oz-a5EeV0AV93TzN5vWfDHyvTQPDCoquJgtwgQB4_HAKuPMWSLfw7466hhLfrFsfHjY6gM6MSQwvo_jDxTiZJX9t1lNQqTY74UVrvtXXF8L7Hq34egUE-AfphvgWW8nyxCjSWk9mHBCqGj9si70x-7&smid=url-share) to a New York Times article about this. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/32 "2023-08-26T06:44:38Z")
A likely story! Why can’t they create a city the normal way? Just wait a few turns until you have a settler unit and find a good spot. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2023, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/33 "2023-08-26T06:54:08Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Why can’t they create a city the normal way? Just wait a few turns until you have a settler unit and find a good spot. That would be too, ah … Civilized… ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/34 "2023-08-30T22:53:27Z")
This seems to be confusing a lot of people. > **[Silicon Valley titans in $1B land grab accused of ‘strong-arm mobster...](https://nypost.com/2023/08/30/silicon-valley-titans-accused-of-mobster-techniques/)** > > Flannery Associates has sparked an uproar with its plan to build a utopian city in Solano County. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/35 "2023-08-31T13:21:50Z")
Oh my god, another “Utopian City”… I used to be a libertarian, and there were so many people with plans for a town/commune/city/abandoned oil rig platform, free from “all those repressive laws” (that keep society together…). ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/36 "2023-08-31T13:41:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So it seems these land purchases are because a company called Flannery Associates wants to build a new city. I guess NorCal deserves its own California City. > **[California City, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_City,_California)** > > California City is a city located in northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, California, United States. It is 100 miles (160 km) north of the city of Los Angeles, and the population was 14,973 at the 2020 census. Covering 203.63 square miles (527.4 km2), California City has the third-largest land area of any city in the state of California, and is the largest city by land area in California that is not a county seat. > Much of the workforce of Edwards Air Force Base, which is located 18 miles (... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/37 "2023-08-31T14:53:57Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Oh my god, another “Utopian City”… I used to be a libertarian, and there were so many people with plans for a town/commune/city/abandoned oil rig platform, free from “all those repressive laws” (that keep society together…). Maybe someone is finally building a city on rock and roll. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/38 "2023-08-31T15:07:50Z")
Been done. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/39 "2023-08-31T16:16:42Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > This seems to be confusing a lot of people From the article cited in that post: > The poll said the project would be a “new city with tens of thousands of new homes, a large solar energy farm, orchards with over a million new trees, and over ten thousand acres of new parks and open space” but also: > dry, inhospitable farmland So where, as it’s becoming clearer and clearer that we’re running into a national fresh water shortage, are they expecting to get the water for all of those homes, orchards, and parks? (Yes, I know many forms of agriculture use a lot of water. But they appear to be describing land that currently doesn’t.) Yes, we need more housing. But that reads like a terrible place to put it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479/40 "2023-08-31T16:31:01Z")
It’s been decades since I’ve been out that way. I hope they didn’t buy the hill with the cows on it. That things picturesque and filling it with houses would be a shame. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysterious-company-buys-land-next-to-travis-air-force-base-in-california-whats-going-on/988479.md?page=3)