New Berlin residents are speaking out against a proposed Rockwell Automation manufacturing campus they say does not belong near their homes and a school.
Rockwell Automation has proposed building a 1-million-square-foot facility on a 100-acre site in New Berlin. The company says the project would create hundreds of jobs and represent between $211 million and $246 million in capital investment.
The city has already held a community listening session on the proposal, which drew strong opposition from neighbors.
Watch: New Berlin neighbors push back on proposed Rockwell Automation plant
Dan Weber, who lives across the street from the proposed site, said he reached out seeking media attention so the public would know what is happening in his neighborhood.
"I sent you an email saying I think we need some media attention, so people know what is going on," Weber said.
Weber pointed to the site's proximity to an elementary school.
"We have Elmwood School here that is K through 5," Weber said.
"In this area where we have residences and schools, brand-new homes," Weber said.
"They are kind of forcing something into an area that shouldn't be here," Weber said.
Neighbor Dan Olstinske said he and others built new homes in New Berlin based on how the land around them was zoned at the time — residential and light industrial.
"These are all brand-new subdivisions where new homes have been built in a community next to schools, next to parks, school fields, baseball diamonds," Olstinske said.
The city would need to rezone the land before Rockwell Automation could move forward with construction. The company says it has been listening to community concerns.
"We've made adjustments to some of our plans based on those who mentioned noise and traffic. We want to make sure we can minimize any adverse impact on the community and show up as a true partner," Kyle Lindberg, vice president of supply chain strategy and planning at Rockwell Automation, said.
Weber said neighbors have a right to weigh in on the proposal.
"We have a right to say it doesn't make sense. That is what we are saying," Weber said.
Several neighbors said they bought their homes expecting the city to follow its long-range plan, which did not include a manufacturing plant in the area.
The plan commission will take up the potential rezoning of the land on July 15. Neighbors say they plan to attend.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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