Group Says Mt Pleasant Not Keeping Promise As Foxconn Land Bought

MOUNT PLEASANT, WI — As public officials close in on securing the remaining properties, one community group says the village is not keeping their promise of keeping the public informed.

This week, the Village of Mount Pleasant Board of Trustees approved five additional agreements to purchase property within the Foxconn Project Area.

Pending closings, these latest agreements will bring the Village’s property acquisition total to approximately 95 percent of land in Area 1, as well as approximately 2,300 acres, or approximately 80 percent, of the entire Foxconn Project Area (Areas I, II and III).

“To date, we have focused much of our efforts on the ‘core area’ of Area I of the project site and have succeeded in reaching voluntary agreements with nearly all property owners,” said David DeGroot, President of the Village of Mount Pleasant. “This is where the first phase of the project will soon be underway, and we’ve made great progress toward securing all the land.”

Group Says Village Not Keeping Promise

Meanwhile, the group "A Better Mount Pleasant" will host a Foxconn development community information forum at 7 p.m. on Wed. May 2 at Village Hall. The event will be free and open to the public.

Kelly Gallaher, a representative for the group said, "while local municipalities like Somers plan to hold informational meetings to answer questions and give updates on the Foxconn development plan, Mount Pleasant has yet to hold a single community meeting as promised."

The group A Better Mount Pleasant says it has invited more than 30 state, county and local officials to attend the informational forum to answer questions from residents about construction plans and development timetables, given the news that Foxconn plans to break ground sometime this summer.

"Residents have questions and concerns about what to expect over the next few months," Gallaher told Mount Pleasant Patch. "Their lives are already being impacted."

The forum will be accompanied by a Facebook LIVE online broadcast at Facebook.com/abettermtpleasant/

Mount Pleasant Patch File Photo