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Jan Sramek, the Chief Executive Officer responsible for the controversial California Forever venture, made an appearance at Bloomberg’s annual technology conference in San Francisco on Thursday. During the event, he engaged in a rather contentious dialogue with one of the outlet’s journalists, Karen Breslau.
The California Forever initiative entails the construction of a brand-new city on vast stretches of farmland in Solano County, California. Flannery Associates, the entity spearheading this project, spent a significant amount of time clandestinely procuring parcels of land, only revealing its true intentions after facing considerable scrutiny from the media. In a specific instance where long-standing landowners initially resisted selling their properties to the company, California Forever took legal action, accusing them of “price-fixing” and filing a lawsuit. This legal battle has become a point of contention between the local community and the developers.
During the interaction with Breslau, the lawsuit was broached, with Sramek being questioned about the rationale behind pursuing such an action. Sramek defended the decision by citing existing laws that prohibit such conduct, referring to the farmers as a “price-fixing ring.” Breslau pressed further, questioning the legality of dragging unwilling property owners to court, to which Sramek admitted that there are no laws compelling individuals to sell their property, clarifying that antitrust laws are intended to prevent collusive pricing agreements.
Breslau also raised the issue of local community sentiment towards the project, highlighting instances where residents expressed vehement opposition during public meetings. Sramek asserted that there is a considerable level of support from Solano County residents, including individuals from multiple generations, as well as professionals like nurses, doctors, teachers, and elected officials. He emphasized the efforts to address misinformation circulating within the community and advocated for the project among neighbors.
When asked if there were any aspects he would approach differently, Sramek acknowledged that embarking on a project of such magnitude inevitably involves making numerous mistakes along the way, indicating a willingness to learn and adapt throughout the process.
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