Peoria County board approves amended special-use for Allen Solar LLC with new build, ownership and reporting conditions

The Peoria County Board approved an amendment to a special-use permit for Allen Solar LLC that permits the site to increase capacity from 4 megawatts to 5 megawatts, adding three new conditions including a three-year construction window, recorded restrictions making the approval nontransferable to intermediate LLC sales, and an annual owner-reporting requirement. The vote carried 13-2.

The vote followed more than an hour of discussion focused on siting, long-term ownership transparency and enforcement. Board members raised concerns about whether the project’s location constrained future growth in the nearby City of Chillicothe and sought assurances about setbacks, public safety and the county’s ability to track owners after sales. Member Alsasser pressed for map-based clarification of proximity to local landmarks, asking about the parcel’s distance from the Chillicothe high school and nearby streets; staff said the closest distance to a nonparticipating residence is 150 feet.

Andrew Braun, Director, Planning and Zoning, told the board the ordinance amendment creates three new enforceable conditions: a three-year deadline to file for building permits, a prohibition on simple resale of an undeveloped project’s permit (the new developer must reapply), and an annual requirement to report current ownership and bonding for decommissioning to the county. “This project will have 3 years to build. And if not, they will lose their special use,” Braun said, describing the construction window as a mechanism to prevent indefinite “perpetual” zoning where projects do not move forward.

Braun also described the county’s enforcement tools if conditions are violated. He said, in cases of noncompliance, planning staff would issue violation notices and stop-work orders during construction and pursue the county’s hearing-officer process for penalties and liens under Chapter 20 of the Peoria County Code. “We would send them a violation letter. We’d place a stop work order on the property, and then they’d go through the appropriate channels, which ultimately involves the hearing officer, fines and potential liens on the property,” Braun said.

Board members who opposed the amendment said their votes reflected concerns about long-term land-use consequences rather than opposition to solar generally. One board member said they support alternative energy in principle but objected to this particular site because they believed it could close off future growth corridors for Chillicothe.

The board also noted a communication gap with the City of Chillicothe; county staff said city officials were asked for input but did not respond. The ordinance text as approved requires yearly owner reporting for the life of the project, and it ties decommissioning bond information and ownership contact details to recorded restrictions with the county recorder’s office.

Outcome: The board approved the special-use amendment, 13 in favor and 2 opposed. The project as approved must begin construction permitting within three years or the special-use approval will lapse and the developer would need to reapply.

Next steps: With the county conditions in place, Allen Solar LLC may proceed to building-permit submittal; planning staff said they will monitor annual ownership reports and enforce the conditions under the county code if required.