The Will County Board voted Thursday to reject one solar energy project in Green Garden Township near Monee and approve another project in New Lenox Township near Manhattan after board members lamented over the lack of local control on solar siting.
Action on a third solar project in Manhattan Township, which also included a battery energy storage facility, was postponed for a month to see if the developer would make changes more palatable to County Board members.
Board member Dan Butler, a Republican from Frankfort, likened the number of solar projects to “an invasion” and said about 25% of Green Garden Township has been taken up by solar farms.
“Are we going to take up all the agricultural land in a township,” Butler said. “I’m begging you to just say no.”
Butler said the board has a duty to speak on behalf of its residents.
“They can’t fight these corporate entities without us,” Butler said.
Board member Frankie Pretzel, a New Lenox Republican, agreed.
“These people are begging for our help,” he said.
The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Land Use and Development Committee recommended denying all three solar projects. Several residents and municipal officials urged the board to deny the projects.
Bolingbrook Republican Raquel Mitchell told the audience, many holding signs urging the board to deny the solar farms, that they need to be in Springfield to urge state action restoring local control.
Other board members said while they don’t agree with the state law superseding local control on solar projects, they have to follow law.
Board member Kelly Hickey, a Naperville Democrat, said she has talked with state representatives to lobby for greater control at the county level.
Democratic Leader Sherry Williams, of Crest Hill, said voting against solar projects leads to litigation, which costs the county money.
County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said she does not want to put the county in jeopardy.
Green Garden Township
The board rejected a project proposed by US Solar for a 4-megawatt solar energy facility to be located on about 40.5 acres at 25740 80th Ave., Monee, after three board members abstained from voting. The project failed with eight members voting in favor of the project and 11 voting against it.
The Monee Fire Protection District wrote to county officials that they opposed the tall vegetation that creates a fire risk and fire growth potential.
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Green Garden Township officials opposed the project due to its proximity to a residential subdivision, township Supervisor Dean Christofilos said.
The solar project could affect property values and harm the residential character of the bordering Charlevoix subdivision, Christofilos said. The project could also affect stormwater runoff, he said.
“This has become so distressful in our community,” Christofilos said. “As supervisor, I get the phone calls.”
Christofilos urged the board to vote in the residents’ best interests.
“When you think like that, decisions become easy,” he said.
Jeff Becker, chairman of the township’s Watershed Committee, said the proposal solar project goes against the county’s wetlands regulations.
“I think this is a disgrace,” Becker said.
Alexis Snow, a Green Garden Township resident, said residents in the rural, agricultural area feel written off as though they don’t matter.
Steven Molter, the landowner of the project, said the solar panels would be “fairly invisible” to nearby homeowners because of the curvature of the land. He said he opted to use a portion of his farm land for solar to help pay bills, including for medical issues, during retirement.
Farm land has been plowed over during the years and replaced with houses, he said.
New Lenox Township
In a separate development, the board voted 12-11 vote along party lines to approve a plan by submitted by Arena Renewables for two 5-megawatt plants to be located on about 80 acres at 22939 Spencer Road, Manhattan. Bertino-Tarrant broke the tie to pass the project with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
The project falls within the village of New Lenox’s planning area, though Frankfort, Mokena and Manhattan are also within about 1.5 miles.
New Lenox officials objected to the solar farm, saying it was inconsistent with the village’s comprehensive plan that envisions residential development.” The village also maintains jurisdiction over South Spencer Road and will not grant ingress or egress to the property, county documents said.
An attorney for the project, Ben Jacobi, agreed to soil testing before the project is built as well as a schedule for the duration of the lease. He said he does not anticipate the solar farm will have any impact on the soil’s quality.
Manhattan Township
The board postponed action until November on a project proposed by Cultivate Power for a 5-megawatt commercial solar farm and a battery energy storage system on 153 acres at 15520 W. Baker Road, Manhattan. The solar facility would occupy about 52 acres while the battery storage system, which stores excess energy generated on the site, would take up about 10 acres, county documents said.
Manhattan Township officials met with the solar developer Aug. 31 and voted 4-0 at the end of the meeting to object to the plans.
The township cited several concerns, including a township policy that states no battery storage facilities are permitted, county documents said. Another concern was the impact the solar project would have on a planned bike path by the Forest Preserve District of Will County as well as the number of overhead electrical poles that would connect the facility to the ComEd system.
Township Supervisor Jim Walsh said the board should put a moratorium on solar farm projects.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.