Crest Hill plan commission recommends approval of Hendrickson’s 4‑acre solar array, grants gravel access variation

The Crest Hill Plan Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the City Council approve a special‑use permit and related zoning variations for Hendrickson USA LLC’s proposed solar array on about four acres at 501 Cayton Farm Road.

The project, presented to the commission as case SUDash25Dash2Dash4Dash1, would install nearly 2,000 solar modules expected to produce about 1,500,000 kilowatt‑hours annually (applicants described the system capacity at about 1.8 megawatts). The commission’s recommendation carries 10 staff conditions and — if the council follows the commission’s vote — will be considered by the City Council at its May 12 work session.

Community and Economic Development Director Pat Ainsworth presented the staff report and told commissioners the application included a special use for a utility facility and one variation from the City Code for driveway material and width. Ainsworth said staff and the city engineer worked with the applicant and the Lockport Fire Protection District to design an emergency‑vehicle access that uses a three‑quarter‑inch limestone gravel section rather than full pavement because the array site lies adjacent to a floodplain and is not required to provide additional stormwater detention. Ainsworth said staff was supportive of granting the variation given the site’s locked, unmanned status and the limited access need.

Chris Batch, general manager at Hendrickson’s Crest Hill bumper facility, said the array is part of a company plan to support a major expansion and to meet customer sustainability requirements. Batch said Hendrickson’s Crest Hill plant has been in the community since 1977 and that “Hendrickson is dedicated to advancing our manufacturing technology and sustainability.” He described a multi‑year investment plan and said the solar project is tied to state and other incentives with time‑sensitive deadlines.

Grace, a Verde Solutions representative, described the proposed design: an array of just under 2,000 modules; rows tilted 30 degrees to the south with about 19 feet between rows; a six‑foot fence topped by one foot of barbed wire; a 16‑foot wide access gate sized for fire apparatus; and vegetative screening along Caton Farm Road. Grace said the design includes a pollinator‑friendly seed mix underneath the array and a planting schedule of 216 new plants (168 trees and 48 shrubs). She told the commission a wetland study was underway and the exact array location would be adjusted if wetlands were found.

Commissioners asked about long‑term removal and recycling of the system at end of life and about the durability and maintenance of the gravel emergency access. Commissioner John Stanton asked whether conduit would be required to be removed at decommissioning, noting potential future excavation or redevelopment. Ainsworth and staff said decommissioning rules and future demolition and building permit processes would govern removal and that staff could add a decommissioning condition when applicable; the commission also noted that municipal ordinances and future review would address excavation and redevelopment needs. Grace said the panels carry typical 30‑year warranties and that the company would coordinate removal or reuse options if the system were taken down.

Multiple speakers, including the city engineer and the Lockport Fire Protection District during pre‑application design, supported the gravel access as an appropriate compromise for emergency access without triggering stormwater detention requirements. Hendrickson and Verde acknowledged they will need recurring maintenance on the gravel access road and that the applicant will coordinate with the fire district on load‑bearing and turning radius requirements.

The commission moved to recommend approval of the special use permit and variations, subject to staff conditions described in the staff report. The roll call vote was seven in favor, none opposed. The commission chair noted staff will coordinate next steps with the applicant ahead of the City Council review on May 12.

The recommendation does not finalize permits; City Council action and any final engineering or wetland findings could alter the project design or conditions.