Zoning panel recommends Commerce Street Solar project with conditions

The Iroquois County Zoning Board of Appeals recommended approval Sept. 23 of a conditional use permit for Commerce Street Solar LLC to build a community solar facility on roughly 33 acres of an 85‑acre parcel near Gilman, sending its recommendation and draft conditions to the Iroquois County Board for final action.

The recommendation matters because the project would convert farmland acreage to a utility‑scale community solar site that the developer says will provide subscriber discounts to Ameren customers, add recurring property tax revenue and create short‑term construction jobs while requiring long‑term decommissioning and drainage protections.

Commerce Street Solar LLC, represented by attorney Kyle Berry of Maguire Woods, presented a plan that locates arrays on the eastern portion of an 85‑acre parcel, leaving about 50 acres in agricultural use. Developer testimony said the layout includes a gravel access road from North Palmer Street, about seven utility poles along the access, a perimeter 8‑foot chain‑link security fence, a vegetative buffer of trees and a pollinator‑friendly native ground cover under…