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Neighbor alleges Zimmerman North solar array built larger than approved; requests county review
Summary
A resident told the Stephenson County Board the Zimmerman North solar site next to her home was built roughly 30% larger than what she says was approved and that county records and staff communications have been inconsistent; she asked the board to verify permit boundaries and environmental studies.
Karen Rivers, a Freeport resident, told the Stephenson County Board during public comment that the Zimmerman North solar installation next to her property was built larger than the board-approved plans and asked county officials to verify what was permitted and what was constructed. "It is approximately 30% larger than what you approved," Rivers said, citing her comparison of maps she labeled as "Map 1" (approved 2-megawatt site) and "Map 4" (what she said was built: 2.58 megawatts and about 13 acres of panels).
Rivers told the board she filed a FOIA request seeking the March 14, 2018 zoning hearing audio; she said that record was at first reported as not available but later surfaced. She also said county staff communications about denied solar sites and vegetation at the Zimmerman North site have been inconsistent. Rivers said an email she attributed to county staffer Beth Henning Williams stated, "the trees that are currently planted will stay on-site. No more discussion will take place," and Rivers described that response as inadequate.
The transcript shows Rivers also raised issues about permit changes and equipment substitutions and asked the board to "check the veracity of persons who have presented info to you." The board did not take action at the meeting on the Zimmerman North allegations; Rivers's remarks occurred during the allotted three-minute public comment period.
Board members who heard the comment did not announce follow-up steps on the record at the meeting. The transcript contains references to a zoning hearing record (March 14, 2018) and to communications from Beth Henning Williams; the board packet or staff were not recorded as offering a corrective statement at the meeting.
What happens next: County staff or the zoning office would be the authority to confirm permit boundaries, approved layouts and whether any permit amendment or violation exists. Rivers asked the board to verify the permit and environmental documentation; the board did not vote or direct staff publicly during the session.
