Zoning board approves recommendation for 5 MW South Ottawa Township community solar with vegetation and screening conditions

The LaSalle County Zoning Board of Appeals on March 19 recommended approval, 5–1, of a special-use petition from South Ottawa Township Solar LLC to install a 5-megawatt commercial solar energy facility on the southern half (about 35 acres) of a 70-acre parcel on North 207th Road / County Highway 55 in South Ottawa Township.

Petitioner Peter McAuliffe described the project as a community solar facility that would interconnect to nearby Ameren three-phase lines and offer subscription-based bill credits to local residents. He said the array would use single-axis trackers, have a construction window of roughly three to four months, and generate roughly the equivalent subscription capacity for several thousand homes. McAuliffe said there is no battery storage proposed and no plan to expand into the northern half of the parcel; the property owner intends to continue farming the north 35 acres.

Vicky Heath of South County Soil and Water presented a site assessment and recommended attention to existing field tiles, compliance with the AIMA (Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement) and use of pollinator-friendly seeding for the leased area. McAuliffe and staff discussed interconnection progress with Ameren, decommissioning details, inverters and transformers (petitioner confirmed 40 string inverters and two transformers), access-road construction detail and a decommissioning financial assurance per AIMA requirements.

County board members and residents asked about fence type, vegetative screening, tree heights, impacts to wildlife and noise, the planned 25-year initial operating term with extensions up to 40 years, local jobs during construction (25–30) and decommissioning surety. McAuliffe said trees along the north side would be planted taller (roughly 7–8 feet at planting, 12–16 feet at maturity) and that he would provide a vegetative management/operations plan before building permit issuance.

The board added conditions, read into the record by staff, that require: following IDNR and LaSalle County Soil and Water recommendations; on-site signage with maintenance contact numbers; vegetative maintenance and weed control within the lease area and adjacent right-of-way; consultation with the drainage district (deleted by board for this parcel when noted not to be in a drainage district); and a full vegetative management plan submitted prior to issuance of a building permit. The petitioner also agreed to add taller screening in the northeast corner adjacent to a subdivision. After amending the motion with those conditions, the board voted 5–1 to recommend approval. Brian Gift said the petition will be presented to the County Board on April 10.

Votes at a glance: Recommendation to County Board to approve special use for petition 25-08 (community solar) — 5 yes, 1 no. Outcome: motion with conditions approved; forwarded to County Board for April 10 consideration.