Site manager apologizes to council over unfinished Limit Street solar site; cites Ameren connection delay

Tony Grillo, who identified himself as in charge of the solar array at 515 Limit Street, told the Lincoln City Council on July 7 he apologizes for the site's current appearance and outlined steps to finish landscaping once the local utility completes its work.

Grillo said the project remains in a construction status and that Ameren must finish its electrical connection before the installing contractor can complete the fence and the vegetative buffer along Limit Street. "First and foremost apologize for the appearance this year. We had hoped that construction would wrap up earlier in the season so that we could actually finish all the landscaping and have it finalized, before this growing season, and that clearly has not happened," he said. "Kind of where we're at right now is waiting on Ameren to finish their connection to the site so that we can finish the fencing that goes around the site. Once the fencing's up, then we can finish up the vegetative buffer that kinda goes along Limit Street."

Grillo said the inside of the array will be seeded with a pollinator mix supplied by Pheasants Forever, which he described as a 24-inch mix of multiple species intended to remain roughly 24 inches tall. He said outside the array the landscaping needs more regular mowing and maintenance because the site remains classified as construction; where the site is finished, landscape crews visit on a regular basis. Grillo said he is personally following up with Ameren multiple times per week and that, practically, planting larger trees or finishing outside buffers will likely wait until fall because the planting season is over.

Council members did not take formal action on the comment but thanked Grillo for the update. Grillo offered to provide photos of other sites that use the pollinator mix if council members wish to see examples.