Beecher trustees split on county non-objection for southeast solar project; approve conditional non-objection for larger northwest proposal

Trustees debated two separate commercial solar proposals on Oct. 27, 2025, refusing one letter of non-objection while approving another tied to a written pre-annexation commitment.

Trustee Stacy introduced planning’s recommendation to submit a letter of non-objection for a proposed commercial solar facility southeast of Beecher. Pedro Rodriguez of Black Swan Development described the site as about 26 acres of a 60-acre parcel owned by Thomas Engler, roughly 2,200 feet south of East Indiana Avenue, with roughly 2,600 (?) acres to remain open (developer-provided map). Rodriguez said the company plans to begin construction in 2026 and energize the array in early 2027, with an expected design life of about 25 years.

During questioning trustees asked about community incentives and what local residents would receive. A Black Swan representative said the proposal is a community solar model that would allow Will County customers to enroll and receive a discount on their power bills (company representatives described a typical 10–15% discount for enrolled customers) but said the program does not guarantee every enrolled Beecher resident would receive power directly from that array. On decommissioning, Black Swan said panels degrade slowly and that the company will enter a decommissioning agreement with the landowner, post a bond, remove modules and structural materials at end of life and recycle materials where possible.

After discussion, Trustee Roger moved to send a letter of non-objection for the southeast Beecher site. The motion failed on roll call: Terry, Smith, Krauss and Kiyachenko voted no; Stacy and Gardner voted yes. The minutes state, “Motion did not pass.”

Separately, the board considered a larger proposal for a commercial solar facility northwest of Beecher spanning several parcels and jurisdictional boundaries. Developer Ryan (calling in) and other representatives said they could either commit in writing not to annex parcels south of Offner Road into the village of Crete or pre-annex parcels they control; they also described a community benefit agreement intended to fund local capital projects such as park improvements, public-safety equipment or water infrastructure.

Planning and zoning recommended not objecting to the northwest project on the condition that any parcels south of Offner Road be subject to a pre-annexation agreement. Trustees voted to authorize entry into the community benefit agreement and to send the county a letter of non-objection contingent on completing that agreement and related pre-annexation commitments. The board directed village counsel to finalize the community benefit agreement with the developer.

What happens next: the developers said they expect Will County to set a zoning hearing earliest in December; planning staff and the developer will prepare the conditional letter and the community benefit agreement in time for the county hearing.

Sources: Trustee Stacy; Pedro Rodriguez, Black Swan Development; Ryan (developer representative).