Iroquois County planners deem Ranger Power solar application complete, send it to zoning board for hearing

The Iroquois County Planning and Zoning Committee voted Nov. 4 to deem Ranger Power’s conditional-use application for a project described by staff as about 4,500 acres with 398 lots complete for purposes of setting a public hearing and forwarded the application to the county zoning authority.

Andy (staff member) told the committee the application had been supplemented after staff asked for an overall site plan and that the developer must file two variance requests — one for the interconnect agreement and one for a drainage/tile survey — before the county would issue a building permit. "It's about 4,500 acres. It's 398 lots," Andy said during the presentation.

The committee’s action to forward the application does not approve construction; it simply moves the application to the next step in the review process, the committee and staff said. Andy explained that the variance filings allow an application to be set for hearing while the developer completes costly site-level work that the county typically requires before issuing permits. "Those things don't excuse them from having to do it," he said, "they have to do it."

Committee members asked for clarification on the drainage survey requirement and the feasibility of completing that work across a large footprint. Staff said the developer indicated it planned to coordinate local contractors to perform the drainage/tile survey but emphasized that the survey and interconnect agreement must be in place before a building permit would issue.

The record shows no final technical approvals were granted at the meeting; instead, the committee executed a procedural vote to deem the application complete for hearing. The chair solicited a motion to forward the application to the zoning authority; members seconded and the motion carried.

Staff also noted the project crosses multiple townships and that some parcels within the overall footprint may not participate in the development. The committee and staff discussed logistics for public notice and the likely multi-night hearing schedule a project of this size could require.

Looking ahead, staff said developers will still need to demonstrate compliance with county requirements on road use, decommissioning, weed management and other post-approval conditions if the project is ultimately approved.

Votes and formal actions Act: Deem Ranger Power conditional-use application complete and forward to zoning authority for public hearing. Outcome: Approved (committee vote forwarded the application to the zoning authority; vote recorded by the chair and seconding members; full roll-call tally not fully recorded in the transcript.)

Officials and staff quoted or referenced in this report are identified in the meeting record and include committee members who participated in the roll call and staff who presented the application and procedural guidance. No construction approvals or permit issuances were made at the Nov. 4 meeting.

The county will publish the public-hearing date and notices once the zoning authority schedules the hearing and completes statutory notice requirements.