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Crooks residents say they learned of Smithfield plan too late and demand answers
Summary
Residents at a Crooks public meeting said they learned about Smithfield Foods’ proposed new hog‑processing plant only after a recent announcement and pressed city and foundation staff for earlier notice and clear information about project timing and choice of site.
Crooks residents pressed city and Foundation Park representatives on why the Smithfield Foods announcement arrived by press release only two weeks earlier, saying the community should have been told sooner.
"I live in Crooks, and I guess one of the things that concerns me the most is why I just found out about it on this release two weeks ago," said Ron Shaw, a Crooks resident who led several questions on timing. Multiple attendees repeated the concern, asking whether the project had been in the works for months or years before the public learned of it.
City staff invited attendees to meet one‑on‑one with planning and foundation representatives and said the project maps and staff would remain available after the meeting. Jeff Beckhoff, director of planning and development services for the city of Sioux Falls, said staff would answer questions and noted that Foundation Park had identified the parcel as heavy industrial on its future land‑use map since 2016.
The exchange highlighted a broader frustration among residents who said they had no prior indication of the transaction and wanted clear timelines and documentation of when agreements were signed. Organizers encouraged residents to attend the upcoming conditional‑use public hearing at city planning and zoning and to review site maps posted at the event.
