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McHenry County zoning board approves reclassification and conditional use permit for solar project, adds subscriber and screening conditions
Summary
The McHenry County Zoning Board voted 7-0 to reclassify a 17-acre parcel from B-1 to A-1 and grant a conditional use permit for a commercial solar energy facility (petition Z250073), adding conditions that require evergreen screening and priority subscription access for residents within two miles.
The McHenry County Zoning Board voted unanimously to reclassify a 17-acre parcel from B-1 Neighborhood Business to A-1 Agricultural zoning and to grant a conditional use permit for a commercial solar energy facility, the board announced during a continuation/voting session of petition Z250073.
Board members approved a package of conditions for the project, including a new condition requiring evergreen trees on the east side of the facility and a condition giving residents within a two-mile radius first opportunity to subscribe to the solar farm. The chair said the updated conditions had been provided to members and were displayed on the meeting screen.
Charlie Elbridge, a zoning board member who moved approval of the conditions, said he generally supports downzoning and viewed the solar facility as a lower-intensity use than many commercial developments. "I pretty much always support downzoning," Elbridge said, adding that without state or county restrictions the board is required to approve permitted uses in agricultural zones. Vicky Gardner, who said she inspected nearby streets to assess screening, said the project already had a "nice thick tree line" and welcomed the additional evergreens proposed by the applicant.
Board members discussed that the applicant is not proposing battery energy storage and emphasized the project's limited on-site staffing needs after construction. Staff and members cited relevant provisions of the McHenry County Unified Development Ordinance and state guidelines in finding that application materials and proposed conditions satisfy ordinance criteria for a conditional use permit.
The motion to accept the conditions was moved by Charlie Elbridge and seconded by Vicky Gardner; the board then voted on the reclassification and permit—Jeff Beverly, Chris Noble, Robert Kosen, Mary Donner (who had read the transcript of the prior hearing and was eligible to vote), Vicky Gardner, Charlie Elbridge and the presiding member all voted yes. The board recorded a final tally of 7 to 0 in favor of the petition.
The board took a short recess before proceeding to the next agenda item.
