Council largely receptive to 27‑acre Mildred Solar proposal; neighbors ask for buffers and noise mitigation

A proposal to build a 27‑acre, 5‑megawatt community solar array on agricultural land near Curran Road drew generally favorable reactions from McHenry City Council members on July 21, though members and nearby residents pressed the developer for additional screening, equipment placement and neighbor outreach.

Representatives Tori Lawler and Forrest Houck of 1 Energy Renewables described Mildred Solar as an Illinois Shines community solar project that would sit on 27 acres, produce about 5 megawatts of energy — roughly enough to serve 1,000 Illinois homes — and operate for a 30‑year lifespan after which the site could be removed and returned to agriculture or redeveloped. The company said it designed the layout to avoid FEMA floodplain areas and to locate the array where existing vegetation provides screening from nearby subdivisions.

Lawler and Houck told the council the project team had moved the array south from an earlier, more visible location after city staff expressed concerns; they proposed planting additional trees along Curran Road and working with environmental contractors to seed native pollinator prairie inside the fenced area. The company said it would propose 50‑foot setbacks from parcel boundaries and 150 feet from residences, and that they would use single‑axis tracking panels with anti‑reflective coatings.

Council members pressed on noise, visual impact and soils. Alderman Bassi and others asked whether inverters and transformers could be shifted farther from adjacent homes to reduce fan noise; 1 Energy said it would move the inverters north and away from residences. Another council member urged a geotechnical soils assessment before final approval, citing historic peat and silt in the area that could limit future development.

Tax revenue estimates presented by 1 Energy showed the project would generate the Illinois standard solar assessment (described by the presenter as about $7,000 per megawatt per year), producing roughly $35,000 annually in local tax revenue over 30 years — a total the presenters estimated could exceed $1 million over the life of the project — and suggested a portion would benefit local schools.

The council did not vote on zoning; staff said the company planned to apply concurrently for a rezone to A‑1 and a special use permit. The mayor summarized council feedback as roughly four members in favor, two opposed, and one councillor not recorded; staff asked the applicant to follow up with Alderman Miller to confirm her position.

The developer was encouraged to strengthen visual buffers along Curran Road, conduct soils and geotechnical testing, specify inverter siting to reduce audible fan noise near homes, and outline subscription priority for local residents if the project proceeds.