While discussions around a new state prison continue, one of the proposed sites is holding community forums to provide information to the public.
Gathered in Mitchell Tuesday evening were city councilors, state legislators, businesspeople and a crowd of citizens. All were there to ask questions and have them answered regarding the 160-acre proposed prison site in Mitchell.
This comes as the Project Prison Reset Task Force dwindles down the locations it plans to propose to the legislature. In Mitchell, the proposal is meeting local opposition.
That opposition includes Laura Weisz who lives near the prison site. She said her stance is firm
“It is across the road from our house, so I will not be changing my mind about it because it will affect us. I mean, I know it’s going to lower our property value, it’s going to lower all our neighbors’ property value," Weisz said. "And no one’s happy. We think it’s being pushed into our face.”
She added, she’s not sure what information could be shared, if any, to change her mind.
“I guess I really wasn’t expecting much more coming into it tonight," Weisz said. "I just think that our town got pushed into it by somebody from the Mitchell Area Development, and before we even got to know about it we were on the list."
She referred to a pitch economic leaders from Mitchell gave to the task force earlier this month.
Mike Lauritsen is the CEO of the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation.
“We support what you’re doing, please continue to push forward," Lauritsen said. He said that is what he’s heard from some businesses in the Mitchell area. He added he understands landowners who are frustrated with the project, but he sees positive potential with the project.
“That’s one of the goals of the development corporation, is to bring new opportunities to our community, and with the prison we think this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Mitchell to be one of the highest employers, you know state benefits, everything that comes with that prison we see as a benefit as far as the economic impact,” Lauritsen said.
Regardless of how Mitchell residents view the project, state legislators can choose to build it there without local approval. To do so, they would need a 2/3 vote in the Legislature.
While a vote isn’t near, in the immediate future legislators on the task force are set to review proposals on July 8.
