Meat-plant site rejected

An Iowa-based meat processing company that promised to employ 500 people at a new facility in Pleasant View, Weber County, is now looking for a different location for its plant.

In April, West Liberty Foods announced it would build a $50 million plant in Pleasant View after the Governor's Office of Economic Development board officially approved $2 million in tax incentives.

Yet less than a week following the announcement, Pleasant View city issued a news release stating that wetlands existed throughout a large portion of the Pleasant View Business Park, the site where West Liberty hoped to build its plant.

"Because the plant growth is prevalent through much of the proposed business park, and wetlands mitigation processes would add significantly to the cost of development, the city and the Weber Economic Development Corporation believe it is impractical to pursue development of the Pleasant View Business Park at this time," the news release said.

Jeff Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Corp. of Utah, an agency contracted by the state to bring new jobs and capital to Utah, said EDCU is working with the company to find an alternative location.

"We've got a good shot at finding an alternate site," Edwards said. "They are looking in the northern part of the state. As far as we know, they're also still considering sites in other states. They are very clearly interested in the whole Western U.S."

The processing plant and the jobs, which would have paid an average of $29,900, about 139 percent of Weber County's median salary, could go to Arizona, which was competing with Utah to recruit the company.

Repeated calls by the Deseret Morning News to West Liberty Foods officials were not returned.

Even if state officials can find a suitable alternative for the plant, West Liberty Foods will end up somewhere other than Pleasant View. City Mayor Tim Wheelwright said news of the wetlands was "unexpected" and "devastating" in light of Pleasant View's efforts to attract new industry.

"These were going to be anchor tenants in our park," Wheelwright said. "We're disappointed that we don't have something else to offer at this point in time."

Wheelwright said the city had been working with West Liberty Foods for the past six months.

"The soonest that we could do the study just happened to coincide closely with the date that the state was dealing with the incentive application from West Liberty Foods," Wheelwright said. "The wetlands issue has always been one that we've known needed to be dealt with and addressed. I don't think anyone ever had any idea that the wetlands issue would be as extensive as it ended up being reported."