Plan Commission dislikes chip plant

The possibility of a semiconductor manufacturer constructing a large-scale microchip plant in the Town of Port Washington isn’t sitting well with the Town of Belgium Plan Commission.

A real estate firm has been buying swaths of land in the Town of Port for as much as $42,000 per acre since the town is one of multiple sites being considered for the plant.

The Town Board briefly addressed the issue after a resident asked about it at last month’s meeting.

“He felt strongly that we should be writing a letter to the governor that we don’t approve of anything,” Town Chairman and Plan Commission Chairman Tom Winker said at the June Plan Commission meeting.

Winker said he talked to Zoning Administrator Charlie Parks about it.

“You know, if you own the land you can control it. You can do whatever you want with it. If somebody offered us $42,000 an acre, don’t kid yourself. You’d think twice,” Winker said.

“We’re not going to waste our time writing a letter to the governor.”

Winker said he wanted the Plan Commission’s opinion on the matter so he could say the issue was discussed, despite the fact the item was not on the agenda and the meeting agenda was not sent to the media and thus not properly noticed.

Commission member Matt Fuller said he understands why someone would sell their land for that price but he doesn’t want government entities to give “corporate welfare to these big corporations that are going to change the community.”

Winker said building the plant “would absolutely destroy the character” of both the towns of Belgium and Port.

Commission member Dennis Dimmer said the jobs the plant would bring are a different caliber than those at the former Simplicity or Trak International factories in Port Washington.

“You’re kind of replacing jobs, but you’re not giving those guys jobs,” he said.

Fuller mentioned the impact on the area.

“If you think home prices have gotten expensive now, wait until they start bringing in high-paid engineers,’ he said. “Is it good if you’re selling? Yeah.”

“I will say this out loud. The Press is not here tonight,” Winker said. “Very simply, I wouldn’t be in favor of any of that. But I will tell you these people that are offered that big money, it’s life-changing money. It really is life-changing money.”