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"They're trying to bully people:" Landowners ready for Foxconn public hearing Tuesday

Posted at 6:12 AM, Mar 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-20 10:01:23-04

MOUNT PLEASANT -- A public hearing detailing plans to make the Foxconn facility a reality is set for Tuesday night.

The village president calls the $10 billion investment a once in a generation opportunity.

A Mount Pleasant woman claims those plans threaten her dream home.

Kimberly Mahoney says her family spent nearly $400,000 customizing their dream home. They moved in February 2017. Her house rests where the new Foxconn development will be. 

The village president says the homes in the development and road improvement areas are being purchased at 140-percent market value.

Mahoney claims her home is not in the road improvement zone where she must agree to sell. She claims the village is trying to 'skirt the law' by declaring her property as a blighted area on the development site.

"This area doesn't qualify for the new definition of blight that the Wisconsin Legislature put in Chapter thirty-two that says the properties are dilapidated or deteriorated, or run down, or are a safety or health risk," said Mahoney.

"I don't think its fair to characterize it that we are skirting any laws," said Dave DeGroot, Mount Pleasant Village President. "We are being very upfront, very forthright, very transparent with how we are going about this process. There is a statutory process that we follow and we'll continue to do that."

"I think they've tried to bully people and be intimidating and say this is all we're going to give you and if you don't take it you'll get less," claimed Mahoney.

"Our hope is that we'll be successful with all the land acquisition and people will be going away happy," said DeGroot.

The village attorney plans to give a presentation before public comment at  5 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Village Hall.

Mahoney showed us the seven pages of notes she plans to read aloud at the public hearing.