County planning committee approves special-use home site and reviews wind farm, zoning map and annexation requests

Stephenson County planning and development staff told the county committee on planning and development on Tuesday that they are digitizing zoning designations, tracking several renewable-energy proposals and recommended approval of a special-use permit that the committee approved.

The committee approved a special-use permit for a single-family dwelling in the agricultural (Ag) district on a parcel to be split from an existing farm; county staff said no cropland will be removed and there were no objectors. Planning staff presented updates on a proposed wind farm that would extend into Winnebago County, an ongoing zoning-code revision, an annexation inquiry from the City of Freeport and preparations to publish an online zoning map.

The zoning and planning update matters because the actions and permits the committee handles affect land use, agricultural operations, county tax revenue and notification requirements for large energy projects that span municipal and county boundaries.

Zoning staff said they are still entering zoning classifications into new software so the county can publish an online zoning map similar to the City of Freeport’s. The clerk reported the county will complete a parcel-by-parcel update after receiving a subdivisions list from GIS. The clerk also said two parcel splits were approved administratively this month, including a roughly 7-acre split for the City of Freeport’s Well Number 12 at the rear entrance of Crete Park.

On renewable-energy proposals, staff described the Winnebago–Stephenson County wind farm as being in the land-acquisition phase and said the project footprint could run “from approximately East Of Springfield Road to South to Montague Road and North to Highway 20 to South of River Road.” Staff also said the developer held open houses in Winnebago County and that lease signing was near completion. “That is in the land acquisition phase. So they have I think he said they just had another open house in Winnebago. I think they're 95% complete. Don't quote me on that, but I think they're 95% complete with, land,” a county planning staff member said during the meeting.

Staff cautioned that approvals for wind and solar rely on state requirements and that the county’s role is to review special-use applications and notify adjacent landowners. “If they meet all the state requirements, they have to be approved, but we have to hold this meeting,” the staff member said, describing the procedural limits of the county's authority.

The planning report included 2024 permit counts: 85 building permits, 32 farm-plan permits, 12 fence permits, 6 sign permits, 12 solar permits (including commercial and residential), five telecommunications permits and one temporary-use permit. Staff said the county issued final-demand letters for several code violations (two corrected, three in progress) and will begin administrative hearings in March for unresolved cases.

Staff also reported work with attorneys on a code revision and ongoing contact with the Greater Freeport Partnership to explore grant opportunities to update a 25-year-old land-use map. The committee discussed an annexation inquiry from the City of Freeport involving the 7-acre parcel for Well Number 12; staff said they have asked the state’s attorney for guidance because the county has not handled an annexation in recent years.

Votes at a glance: - Special-use permit (single-family dwelling, Ag district; parcel split, no cropland removed): approved (motion and second recorded; no objectors) — outcome: approved. - Agenda amendment, minutes and claims (procedural votes taken earlier in the meeting): approved (procedural items recorded on the public minutes).

The committee moved on to other reports after the zoning update. The planning staff said the map and software work is time-consuming but will make zoning data more accessible to residents and realtors once complete. The staff member said they expect further solar and wind applications in the coming year and that special-use hearings allow neighboring landowners to comment.

The committee did not take additional policy votes on the wind farm during the meeting; staff framed the item as a project in the permitting pipeline that will return as formal applications arrive.