Will County panel approves Soltage plan for two 5 MW solar arrays near Manhattan with pollinator plan, vegetative buffer and underground interconnection

The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on March 6 approved a special-use permit for a commercial solar energy facility proposed by Soltage IL Devco on property at the southeast corner of West Manhattan Road and South Cherry Hill Road in Manhattan Township.

The project would place two adjacent 5-megawatt arrays on a fenced portion of a roughly 78-acre parcel. Marguerite (staff) told the committee the applicant expects about 22,000 solar panels across the two projects, and that each lease could run up to 40 years if renewed. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with additional conditions; staff came to the committee seeking a special-use permit with nine recommended conditions.

Why it matters: Committee members and township officials pressed the developer on screening, long-term upkeep and archaeological review. The project proposes reductions in the number of annual mowings and increases in allowable ground cover height inside areas managed for pollinators — changes that township officials and the applicant said were intended to establish and protect pollinator habitat.

Project details and committee concerns Soltage representative Stephanie Sienkowski described commitments made during local coordination. "There's at least a 140 foot setback from the fence line to the residential properties to…