Will County committee rejects two proposed solar farms near Shorewood, citing growth and water concerns

The Will County Land Use Committee on July 3 voted to deny two special-use permit requests for commercial solar energy facilities on farmland south of Shorewood, saying the projects conflicted with nearby municipalities'growth plans and raised concerns about water planning and local tax revenue.

The votes followed public testimony from the village of Shorewood, school officials and nearby residents and a presentation from the applicant describing how the projects would be sited and operated.

The projects (zoning cases ZC25041 and ZC25054) are proposed by the same developer and property owner on adjacent parcels in Troy Township. For ZC25041 the developer described a projected 4.99-megawatt facility with roughly 13,000 panels and a proposed equipment pad about 82 feet from the eastern property line and 824 feet from Baltz Road. Both proposals included requests for variances on mowing frequency and maximum plant cover heights; the second case added a variance for a reduced side-yard setback.

Why it mattered: Shorewood officials urged the committee to weigh municipal…