Kim Mahoney (middle) and her family are still living in their home located within Area 1 of the development area.
The Village of Mount Pleasant is continuing to use eminent domain to acquire land from homeowners in the Foxconn project area. The village decided to go ahead and approve the “Award of Damages” for nine parcels of land within the area for a roadway expansion related to the project at a village board meeting last night.
Award of damages is the amount of money the village board and its consultants have decided is appropriate to award properties through state law. It is only made when property owners have refused to sell their property to the village at the village’s price.
“I would just like to say that I will be staying, and I will be fighting for my Fifth Amendment right,” said Catherine Jensen, one of the homeowners who has decided to stay in her home. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jensen is one of at least three citizens who have filed a lawsuit against the village for their plan to use eminent domain against them. One family has also apparently filed a restraining order against the village as well.
Alan Marcuvitz, an attorney for the Village of Mount Pleasant, said the properties were acquired for the purposes of “roadway expansion.” The road expansion, which is related to Foxconn, was said to be under the direction of Wisconsin statute 32.05, which discusses eminent domain.
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Residents of Mount Pleasant and the surrounding area once again took to the podium Monday night during the public hearing to oppose the board’s decision. Public comments were cut short right before the hearing from three minutes to two minutes by Village President Dave DeGroot in order to allow all citizens to speak.
“Foxconn has been wrong since day one,” said Alfonso Gardner. “There is no right way to do the wrong thing. You are taking homes away from people. You are snatching their heart out.”
“Please say it isn't so,” said another speaker.
The Village of Mount Pleasant is moving ahead to attempt to use eminent domain to obtain land from holdouts in the Foxconn development area.
The village has said that they have remained true to their acquisition plan of providing 140% of fair market value for all homes, plus “relocation benefits.” All property owners also have a 2-year period to appeal for additional compensation, however the village has notified these property owners that they already own the land and homes, and they have been notified they must vacate the premises on or before November 19, 2018, according to A Better Mount Pleasant.
Kim Mahoney also spoke at the meeting. She and her family are still living within Area 1 of the development because they believe they are getting low appraisal offers from the village for their home.
“Do I really want to live there? Well no I don't, but if my only choice is to take their one and only lowball offer, or stay, I pick stay 100% of the time,” she said in an interview.
“This happens every day across the state of Wisconsin where properties are taken...for road projects,” said Village President Dave DeGroot. This statement was met by a myriad of boos from the seated area.
Mahoney said she contacted the village seven weeks ago with a counter offer for her property, but she has not heard back yet. “You (The Village Board) only want those properties because you promised them to Foxconn,” she said at the meeting.
