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McHenry County board amends conditions, approves Arena Renewables’ 2 MW OPAL solar permit 7–0
Summary
The McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 7–0 to approve Arena Renewables’ conditional‑use permit for the two‑megawatt OPAL solar project on an ~18‑acre former nursery in Door Township, adding a condition to preserve seven identified oaks and approving 11 conditions to send the petition to the County Board.
A McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals hearing concluded with a unanimous 7–0 vote to approve Arena Renewables’ application Z250100 for an additional‑use permit to build the two‑megawatt OPAL commercial solar facility on roughly 17.9 acres in Door Township.
Arena Renewables’ Illinois director, Carson Winand, told the board the OPAL project would use about 13 acres of the 18‑acre parcel, is classified as a community solar project with a ComEd interconnection secured, and does not include battery storage in the current proposal. "We will post the decommissioning bond either with the county or the or the landowner," Winand said, adding the applicant’s draft decommissioning cost estimate is about $200,000.
The board’s approval followed technical testimony from consulting arborist Sarah Skoranski of Kimley Horn, who said the team surveyed 1,065 trees on the former nursery site and…
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