Boone County board rejects special-use permit for solar farm near Beloit Road

Boone County Board members voted down a special‑use permit for a proposed commercial solar energy facility on Beloit Road after an extended review and public comment period.

The board rejected the application for a solar array proposed on roughly 39.23 acres in unincorporated Belvidere Township. County planning staff reported the project would occupy about 36 acres of leased land with single‑axis trackers not to exceed 12 feet and an operating capacity the applicant estimated at about 8,000,000 kilowatt‑hours per year, which the applicant said is roughly equivalent to the annual usage of about 800 single‑family homes.

Supporters argued the site is viable because existing interconnection capacity for ComEd made the parcel cost‑effective for development, while opponents — including the City of Belvidere planner and the city’s mayor — said the location conflicts with local planning goals and sits within the city’s 1.5‑mile review area.

Ryan Anderson, who identified himself as representing AutoSolar and Cypress Creek Renewables, told the board the project had an interconnection agreement and a deadline to interconnect, and that moving the project to another parcel likely would render it economically unviable and push it years into the future. "If we were to reapply on this particular project or find another landowner in Boone County ... it would probably just pull the project entirely and push it out years and years, to where it wouldn't be viable," Anderson said.

County staff reviewed prior Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearings and reported the ZBA adopted findings and recommended approval by a 4‑to‑1 vote after holding hearings and proposing 20 conditions. Staff said the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District submitted an unfavorable opinion in its natural resources inventory. The ZBA added condition 20 requesting a utility easement along the portion of the property bordering Squaw Prairie Road to permit expansion of city services.

Board members who spoke cited competing priorities. Several members said the proposal conflicts with the county’s and nearby city’s comprehensive plans and expressed concern about placing a solar farm opposite a school. "The safety of our children comes first," Marion Thornberry said. He and others argued the site is among Boone County’s more productive farmland and is better suited for future residential development tied to nearby infrastructure.

Other board members said the county could not unilaterally pick alternative locations and that the application met statutory standards and the review criteria the county applies. "Applicants come to us and tell us what they want to do with their property," said Dave Wiltsie, who stated he would vote in favor.

During a roll call, a majority of members voted against the permit and one member recorded an abstention; the motion failed.

The county’s staff packet and the ZBA’s findings of fact and the 20 recommended conditions were entered into the record during the hearings; the ZBA record shows the application had been laid over from an earlier meeting and reconvened for further consideration before the ZBA recommendation was forwarded to the County Board.

The applicant and opponents were given multiple opportunities to speak during the ZBA and county hearings. City of Belvidere testimony and written comments submitted by city officials and a city planner were among the materials referenced by board members during debate.

With the permit denied, no county approvals or exceptions were granted and the project will not proceed under the county’s special‑use authorization at this time. The applicant indicated willingness to answer questions but did not announce a specific next step at the board meeting.

A formal project record, including the ZBA findings, the 20 proposed conditions, public testimony, and county staff reports, is attached to the county file for special‑use permit 13‑205.

The board moved on to other agenda items following the vote.