The McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Pivot Energy Illinois 216 LLC to build a commercial solar energy facility on property south of Hemington Road in Coral Township and added a condition prohibiting on-site battery storage.

Key facts: the applicant presented a project boundary of about 42 acres within a roughly 56-acre parcel and a solar array sized at just under 5 megawatts AC (approximately 4.98 MW). Pivot representatives said panels would be no taller than 15 feet at maximum tilt, use single-axis trackers and string inverters, and be sited at least 450 feet from the nearest residence. The applicant stated panels will be U.S.-made Silfab modules where available, that the racking will be driven on steel piles (no concrete footings), and that string inverters and other equipment pads will be located outside the lowest floodplain areas.

Floodplain and design: the site includes FEMA Zone A floodplain and a base flood elevation (BFE) previously established for the area. Pivot said it will design racking and equipment pads to meet the county’s BFE requirements: panels will be mounted at higher pile heights where needed and equipment pads will be sited on the highest parts of the site or raised minimally. The applicant described use of flood sensors that automatically tilt panels flat during high-water events to meet county floodplain conditions. The applicant indicated impacts to the ditch on site would be below the Army Corps reporting threshold (less than 0.1 acre) and said it had begun coordination with county stormwater staff.

Vegetation and agrivoltaics: Pivot said it prefers pollinator-friendly native seed mixes beneath arrays and actively deploys sheep grazing on many sites for vegetation management; the company said it is seeking local grazing partners and noted an agrivoltaic approach on other Illinois projects. Pivot also presented a decommissioning plan, a Knox Box for emergency responders and a digital monitoring (SCADA) system for remote operations.

Community benefits and taxes: Pivot described a community-investment program that pledges $5,000 per megawatt at notice-to-proceed; the applicant cited nationwide giving figures and said local pledges are planned for McHenry County organizations. Pivot estimated property taxes for the project at nearly $22,000 in the first year and roughly $250,000 over 30 years (figures presented by the applicant).

Board action and conditions: the board accepted a set of staff-recommended conditions and — by separate motion — added a condition (condition #10) prohibiting on-site battery storage. The board then approved the conditions as amended and voted 7–0 to recommend the conditional use permit to the County Board; the petition will be on the County Board docket Nov. 18.

Notes on public testimony and process: the applicant said it held a neighborhood open house in March and met with Coral Township representatives. County staff confirmed required notices had been posted and that required reports (endangered species, NRI) had been filed. Board members asked technical questions about floodplain design, pile and racking systems, inverter counts and agrivoltaic grazing; the applicant agreed to follow county stormwater and floodplain requirements and said third‑party engineering and EPC review would be used before construction.

Next steps: the petition advances to the McHenry County Board on Nov. 18; if approved there, the applicant must complete building permits, stormwater approvals and any distribution upgrades required by ComEd before construction and operation.