The Grundy County Land Use Committee voted July 23 to forward a special‑use permit request from Lightstar Renewables for a ground‑mounted solar array to the full county board for a final decision.
Alec, a Land Use staff member who presented the packet, said the project would use about 37 acres of a 49‑acre parcel in Aux Sable Township and include approximately 13,000 single‑axis tracking photovoltaic modules with generating capacity of about 5 megawatts, a central transformer and an overhead ComEd tap. Alec said the developer proposed an eight‑foot security fence, pollinator‑friendly revegetation and remote 24/7 asset monitoring. Lease terms cited in the packet were a 20‑year lease with a five‑year extension option.
The packet also included municipal opposition letters and local testimony. Alec said the county received five letters of opposition from the Village of Manuka, Senator Sue Rezin, the Grundy County Economic Development Council, the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Senator Chris Balkema, arguing that the site conflicted with corridor plans that target industrial and commercial uses.
Attorney Jim Hirsch, representing Lightstar Renewables, told the committee the statutory requirements in 55 ILCS 5/5‑12020 and the county zoning checklist had been met by the applicant. "The zoning ordinance, as set forth in 55 ILCS 5 slash 5 dash 1 2 0 2 0, the new ordinance, all of those conditions have been met, by, Lightstar," Hirsch said. He also argued the statute’s language about a 1.5‑mile municipal radius applies to commercial wind facilities and not commercial solar siting, and urged the committee to consider the statutory text when weighing municipal objections.
County counsel (name not specified) told the committee there are conflicting judicial opinions on how strictly the county must follow statutory siting checklists versus weighing LaSalle factors. Counsel said a local opinion by Judge Sobel aligned with county counsel’s view, while a Winnebago County opinion reached the opposite conclusion and both may go to the appellate court. "We've always, applied the LaSalle factors and weighed everything like we should as a governmental body," counsel said, recommending the committee continue that practice until an appellate decision instructs otherwise.
At the committee meeting, a motion to forward petition 25ZBA8 to the full board for consideration passed on a roll‑call vote: James Riley, Nathaniel Green and Josh Harris voted yes; Georgette Voda and Jeff Wynne voted no. The Zoning Board of Appeals had earlier voted 4–0 to recommend denial to the committee based on two of the eight LaSalle factors noted in the packet.
Discussion at the committee included references to technical submissions in the packet: an NRI application with a 90.86 prime rating, an overall site assessment cited as 231.01 designating the site as prime, a draft emergency plan, decommissioning plan and a road‑use agreement executed with the road commissioner and supervisor. Alec said municipal outreach had been conducted to jurisdictions within 1.5 miles and that conversations with municipal entities had not produced formal agreements.
The committee’s forwarding action sends the Lightstar Renewables special‑use permit to the full Grundy County Board for a final vote. The packet and letters of opposition are on record with the Land Use Department for review prior to that meeting.