Solar farms: Coming to a neighborhood near you?

Bonnie Morris
Posted 9/19/18

MENDOTA - The push is on for development of solar energy in Illinois. The state’s goal of getting 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, along with tax incentives and rebates, has helped incentivize solar companies to come knocking on the doors of government entities across the state - including LaSalle County.

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Solar farms: Coming to a neighborhood near you?

Posted

MENDOTA - The push is on for development of solar energy in Illinois. The state’s goal of getting 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, along with tax incentives and rebates, has helped incentivize solar companies to come knocking on the doors of government entities across the state - including LaSalle County.

Just in the last few months, the LaSalle County Board has approved upwards of a dozen solar farm permits including many that had been denied by the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals. Many other permits are pending.

While most people would agree that moving toward renewable energy is a good thing, sometimes all of the consequences for local residents are not considered. Sue Masear Anderson of rural Mendota recently learned that the hard way. On Aug. 31, Anderson was shocked to receive a certified letter from the LaSalle County Zoning Board regarding a Sept. 19 hearing. The hearing, she learned, was to address a special use petition from NextEra, a California-based energy company, for a solar farm. Anderson said after deciphering the legal description, she realized the solar farm would be located right next to her property just east of Mendota.

Not only would it be next door, but after meeting with the director of LaSalle County Environmental Services and Land use on Sept. 10, Anderson was informed that the solar panels would be just 80 feet from the side of her home. Although the solar farm was originally a 10-acre project, it was expanded to 29-plus acres when the petition was filed with the zoning board. Anderson said as far as she knows, it is now about 17 acres.

Anderson emphasized that she is definitely not against renewable energy or even having a solar farm nearby. But to have such a large commercial enterprise as a next-door neighbor in an area zoned for agriculture - and not to be notified well in advance - was an unexpected shock.

In a written statement, Anderson stated that LaSalle County does not have an ordinance in place regarding solar farms and yet the county board is approving their proposals. “This is inviting disaster to our farm land. The solar farm companies are rushing through the doors to get their special use petition on agricultural land because LaSalle County does not have an ordinance in place. There are no guidelines to protect the townships,” she wrote.

Similar issues are occurring in other counties as well. In Ogle County, Stillman Valley residents opposed development of four solar farms that would be located near some residential homes and take nearly 330 acres of prime farmland out of production. In late August, the Ogle County Board agreed to stop permitting solar farms for at least six months until they had an ordinance to deal with the growing industry. As reported by Shaw Media, Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker said the county made a mistake not to create a solar farm ordinance before they started to deal with the proposals.

Likewise, Anderson believes LaSalle County should adopt an ordinance stating that a solar farm must be at least 500 feet from homes and that adjoining property owners be contacted in a timely manner.

Anderson did give credit to the county zoning board, though, saying they have denied 98 percent of the petitions. “However, the energy company can proceed to the county board for approval and they are approving as many as they can,” she wrote. “There are too many unanswered questions for this petition to either be approved or denied on Sept. 19, it needs to be tabled. The county board needs to stop hearing these petitions until LaSalle County has an ordinance in place.”

Anderson said because of the short notice she received about the proposed solar farm, she felt the need to hire an attorney to protect her property. “In the past two weeks, I have been racing around the county trying to gain knowledge of the solar farm industry and contacting the zoning department, reading the petition request documents from NextEra, speaking to my county commissioner Gary Small-District 7 and also with adjoining property owners who are in opposition to this solar farm, and with all the law firms in Mendota, one in Ottawa and finally retaining a lawyer from Peru,” she wrote.

Anderson pointed out that if she had been notified sooner, she would not have had to hire a lawyer. “This is called running roughshod over the old lady at the end of the field,” she wrote.

On Sept. 19, Anderson intends to bring her concerns and those of the other property owners to the zoning board hearing. If the petition is tabled, she hopes the property owners will be able to meet with NextEra and work through their concerns. “Let the people be heard and listen to their input,” she said.