U.S. officials are examining sizable land purchases near a California air base northeast of San Francisco, amid concerns that foreign interests could be involved in the investments by Flannery Associates, the firm identified as the buyer. The Wall Street Journal has reported on the matter.
As described by the publication, Flannery Associates has spent close to a billion dollars to acquire more than 21,000 hectares of land—about 300 parcels—over the last five years. This activity makes the company the largest landowner in Solano County, a status that has drawn scrutiny from local and federal authorities alike.
Portions of the land sit near Travis Air Force Base, a major U.S. military installation on the West Coast with a substantial footprint in the area. The WSJ notes that the base hosts thousands of active military personnel within its jurisdiction, underscoring the strategic sensitivity of nearby land ownership in the eyes of national security officials.
California Representative John Garamendi told the Journal that state officials have spent eight months attempting to determine who ultimately benefits from Flannery Associates’ purchases. So far, officials have found no clear beneficiaries, and the scale and proximity of acquisitions, including plots near the boundary of Travis, have prompted officials to seek answers about the intent and potential implications for the region.
Both Representative Garamendi and Representative Mike Thompson have filed a motion with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The aim is to obtain guidance for the president on whether foreign purchases should be blocked or canceled on security grounds, reflecting ongoing concerns about national interests in sensitive areas.
In a separate note, discussions around the constitutionality of certain purchase considerations have entered the public discourse as part of the broader debate about asset ownership, national security, and regional development. These discussions highlight how land acquisitions near military installations can raise questions about governance, transparency, and regional impact for communities in California and beyond.