Lee County ZBA recommends approval of two Mound Hill Road community solar special‑use permits with conditions

Chair Bruce Forster called the Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) back into session on April 28, 2025 to act on petitions 25P1639 and 25P1640 from Mound Hill Road North Solar LLC and Mound Hill Road South Solar LLC seeking special‑use permits for commercial/community solar energy systems in Palmyra Township.

The ZBA recommended that the Lee County Board approve both special‑use permits after hearing testimony and reviewing exhibits from the petitioners, consultants and several members of the public. The board’s recommendation was unanimous (Forster, Burrow, Crawford) for both projects; the ZBA also listed multiple conditions the applicants or any successors must meet before a building permit is issued.

Why it matters: the two adjacent projects would occupy substantial acreage of prime farmland, would place solar arrays and related equipment near nonparticipating residences and a small nearby business (the Midway Drive‑In), and raise questions about drainage, subsurface utilities, noise and groundwater. The ZBA’s approvals were conditioned on technical studies and permitting steps intended to address those issues before construction.

What the ZBA heard and found Petitioners’ witnesses described the projects, the ownership and developer relationships, and technical plans. Austin Schwier, co‑CEO of Sundial Energy, explained corporate relationships among Sundial Energy, Clean Capital LLC and the two Mound Hill Road entities and said the projects align with the county comprehensive plan’s support for green energy. Senior project manager Andy Golomb (CEC) presented site and engineering details; Michael Marus (Marus & Company) testified the projects would not reduce nearby residential property values.

Documents admitted into evidence included the original and revised applications for each project, revised site plans (filed 04/02/2025), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and IDNR/SHPO correspondence, a Lee County SWCD soil and resources report, a FEMA map extract, sound studies by Krebs & Lansing, equipment specification sheets, and memoranda of option/lease agreements with the participating landowners.

Key technical details and applicant commitments the ZBA recorded - Site size and layout: each project was described as approximately 67.29 acres; together the two projects form an adjacent rectangular site in Palmyra Township. - Generating capacity: petition summaries listed ~5 MW AC for the North project and ~2 MW AC for the South project. - Panel counts and equipment: the record included panel counts in the 12,700–12,870 range for the North facility and ~5,928 for the South and listed panel manufacturer/specifications in the application materials; witnesses said final module selection could be made by a future owner. - Height and arrays: single‑axis trackers with a maximum panel height at full tilt of about 20 feet; inverters, transformers and collection lines routed to ComEd interconnection points (overhead lines from the POI to the substation were described in the record). - Access and construction: revised plans moved arrays farther from Mound Hill Road (distances varied by parcel); new gravel access roads and culverts crossing the east ditch of Mound Hill Road were shown, with road base and widths described in the record (recorded plan language and subsequent clarifications noted a 12–16 foot travel width depending on the readout). Petitioners’ witnesses gave construction estimates ranging from 3–6 months (on the stand) to 6–15 months (application summary), and estimated 15–30 construction jobs and 1–2 long‑term O&M jobs. - Leases and term: witness testimony and application materials described leases of 30 years with two 5‑year extensions.

Community concerns and points of discussion Nearby residents, township officials and business owners raised concerns in testimony and written statements about loss of farmland, visual impacts (including distance from the Midway Drive‑In), floodplain/wetland effects and potential groundwater impacts from driven or augured steel pilings. The Palmyra Township Board and Planning Commission submitted a letter objecting to the projects; the petitioners responded with revised layouts and a vegetation management plan and committed to annual training for emergency responders.

Where the ZBA placed conditions The ZBA recommended approval but attached several conditions to be satisfied before a building permit is issued or during project operation. Notable recommendations included: - Submit a stormwater management plan approved by the Lee County engineer prior to building permit issuance. - Submit the required engineer certification(s) (structural/professional engineer seals) as a condition of building permit issuance. - Provide a drain‑tile study showing subsurface drainage lines prior to building permit issuance and an agreed approach to address tile impacts. - Require an expert noise analysis that identifies the applicable Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) standards for the specific site and opines whether the petitioners’ measurements comply, submitted prior to building permit issuance. - Maintain a timely, ongoing log of facility complaints and resolutions, submitted to the Zoning Officer. - Require written demonstration of visual screening compliance 30 days before issuance of a building permit (to protect nearby nonparticipating residences and the Northland Hills subdivision edge). - Decommissioning: the record included a decommissioning plan with cost estimates; the ZBA found testimony had been produced in support of those estimates and that the decommissioning plan be enforced per the plan’s terms. - Operational commitments recorded in the record: petitioners testified they would not include battery storage in the operation and committed to equipment meeting ANSI/UL and NESC/NEC standards; applicants also committed to annual emergency‑responder training. - Well testing: the ZBA recommended a well‑test study be performed before construction begins and every other year during operation, with results reported to the Lee County Health Department (recommendation added after public concern about groundwater and subsurface work).

Decisions and next steps The ZBA voted to recommend that the Lee County Board approve the special‑use permits for both Mound Hill Road North Solar LLC and Mound Hill Road South Solar LLC. The board also forwarded the package of technical conditions and studies listed above as recommended permit conditions to the County Board and noted that many ordinance compliance items (building permits, engineer certifications, stormwater permit, and others) remain prerequisites to construction.

The Lee County Board will consider the ZBA’s recommendation and the accompanying conditions at a future County Board meeting. If the County Board approves the special‑use permits, the conditions the ZBA attached will be prerequisites or requirements to remain in effect under the recommended permits.

Ending note The ZBA’s recommendation followed several hours of testimony, exhibits and public comment and was unanimous among the three board members present. The record and transcript remain the primary source for technical specifics; the ZBA repeatedly noted written materials and the transcript should be consulted for exact language in exhibits and motions.