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Montgomery solar petition draws split public reaction; ZBA recommends approval
Summary
The ZBA recommended approval for USS Montgomery Solar LLC’s 4.98‑MW project on a 40.5‑acre area after developer testimony and assurances about decommissioning and drainage; some neighbors pressed concerns about farmland, drainage and home values and asked about municipal objections.
The Zoning Board of Appeals recommended approval of a proposed 4.98‑megawatt solar facility on roughly 40.5 acres of a 65‑acre parcel in Saratoga Township (petition 25ZBA017). The recommendation, which includes standard county conditions and a required glare study, will go to the Land Use Committee and then the County Board.
County staff said the site would be accessed from Manuka Road via a 12‑foot gravel access and that the project included remote monitoring and quarterly maintenance with no daily operations traffic. Staff noted the applicant supplied an interconnection agreement, an NRI/LISA assessment (score 226 designated as prime soils), an emergency plan and a vegetation plan.
Public commenters included family members who own the land, residents living nearby and an attorney representing adjacent property owners. Trustee Howard Pritchard described the family’s decades‑long ownership and said the family chose the developer in part because the lease requires restoration provisions. “This deconstruction period and activities are governed by the Illinois State Department of Agriculture in an agreement signed by US Solar and the Department of Agriculture,” Pritchard said.
Opponents raised common concerns heard across several Grundy County hearings: potential loss of farmland, visual impacts, property‑value change, drainage and groundwater effects, and limited direct benefit to local residents. Resident Jim Lusbetak urged heavier screening and a berm to block views and asked the developer to address a nearby drainage ditch that sometimes causes standing water on adjacent parcels.
Developer representatives said the projects in the corridor together fund new distribution infrastructure and that they were coordinating with neighbors over access‑road alignment. The City of Morris initially filed an objection to a different petition in the corridor but ultimately withdrew that objection for this specific project, staff said.
After discussion of LaSalle factors and project conditions, the ZBA voted to forward a positive recommendation to the Land Use Committee; roll‑call votes recorded yes from all board members present. The County Board will consider final action Oct. 14. Staff materials include the site plan, drainage and vegetation plans, the interconnection agreement and letters of support and opposition.
If the County Board approves the petition the developer will still need final engineering and permitting, and the project will be subject to decommissioning bonding and post‑construction stormwater and vegetation compliance.
