The Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce is kicking off a new multi-phase initiative to attract residents and businesses to the area, which was devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire. The Ridge photo

A pair of proposed real estate developments outside the Central Valley represent attempts at both birth and rebirth.

In the Butte County town of Paradise, where California’s deadliest wildfire nearly devastated the entire community nearly six years ago, there’s a campaign to bring people and businesses back.

In Solano County, Silicon Valley billionaires who stealthily snapped up more than $800 million worth of rural land for a green community between San Francisco and Sacramento are releasing plans in hopes of appealing to voters.

Like a Phoenix

The Camp Fire claimed 84 lives and destroyed more than 18,800 buildings as part of the 17-day catastrophe about 90 miles north of Sacramento in 2018. It was the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses.

Insured losses were more than $12 billion due to wildfire in California in 2018.

Now, the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce is kicking off a new multi-phase initiative to attract residents and businesses to the area. They started with the launch of a new website.

Business officials say new residents from across the state are drawn to the area’s natural beauty, affordable home prices, larger lot sizes and the friendly small-town atmosphere. It was once primarily a retirement community but the demographics are shifting, according to a recent study. 

“The resident growth study revealed that the area’s population has changed to include more families, young couples, and retirees looking to own a home in a friendly community,” said Monica Nolan, executive director of Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. “We want to continue to welcome new residents into our community and make it easier for them to find information on how wonderful life on The Ridge can be.”

The new website’s goal is to make it accessible for anyone to find the information they need when considering relocating or visiting. Some of the information includes the advancements made in the area, the friendly community, and resources and information needed to find a Realtor, restaurant, club to join, and more. 

Green living

Later this November, Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader, and his California Forever company are anticipating approval by Solano County voters to bypass protections created in 1984 to keep agricultural land from being turned into urban space.

The campaign posted the ballot initiative on its website Wednesday. Now county elections officials need to prepare a ballot title and summary before the campaign can begin collecting signatures. They need signatures from 13,000 county voters to place the measure before voters in November.

The vision for the new city will feature 20,000 homes for 50,000 residents between Travis Air Force Base and the tiny town of Rio Vista, with row houses and apartment buildings between three and six stories high within walking distance to jobs, schools, bars, restaurants, and grocery stores.

The city could eventually grow to 400,000 people if at least 15,000 jobs with above-average wages can be created. The plan calls for $400 million to help Solano County residents and Air Force base families buy homes in the proposed community, among other investments.