McHenry County board recommends conditional use for NP Solar Farm over local flooding objections, 6–1

The McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 6–1 to approve a conditional‑use petition for a proposed 10.13‑megawatt commercial solar facility (application Z250088) on roughly 30 acres along Anthony Road in Riley Township and to send the application, with conditions, to the county board for final action.

Dr. Everton Waters, president of WCP Solar, presented the project on behalf of NP Solar Farm LLC and its owner (identified in testimony as Kachi). Waters described a pile‑driven, fixed‑tilt array of about 14,000 panels, two central inverters and a 12.4 kV interconnection. He said the design includes native pollinator seed mixes, conifer screening along Anthony Road and a decommissioning bond and plan. “We are satisfied that the development ... will meet all the requirements of the county,” Waters told the board during the applicant’s presentation.

Neighbors and township residents urged denial. Deborah Bolin, who said she has lived near the site for 40 years, read into the record photos and NRI excerpts showing frequent ponding and a high water table and argued the parcel is “simply the wrong place for a solar farm.” Dolores Mallory, another nearby homeowner, asked whether piling and construction would damage existing clay drain tiles and warned that the field floods up to the road. Multiple public speakers cited the McHenry County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Natural Resources Inventory and a Hay & Associates wetlands/drainage study as evidence that much of the parcel is hydric or in FEMA flood zones.

Board members pressed the applicant on several technical points: whether the panels would be affected by standing water, how cabling would be routed, pile depths determined by geotechnical studies, the proposed 25–50 foot fence setback and the developer’s plans for a drain‑tile study. Waters said the racking system’s lower edge would sit roughly 3 feet above ground, that the company would perform a drain‑tile survey and would mitigate or repair any tile damage proved to be caused by construction, and that an in‑place feasibility study from Commonwealth Edison had been received with a full interconnection agreement expected within weeks.

County staff confirmed that the application packet included NRI materials and a wetlands delineation and that additional technical reviews will take place at building‑permit stage. Staff also described county requirements for a decommissioning bond (the county holds a bond for 100% of estimated decommissioning cost, re‑evaluated every 10 years) and said stormwater, drain‑tile and flood‑elevation issues must be resolved before building permits would be issued.

Several board members said state law constrained their decision. Charlie Eldridge, a board member, noted the board’s obligation under Illinois public acts referenced in the staff report and said, “I am required by law, to vote in favor.” Member Dwayne Dolman and others expressed concerns about site wetness but ultimately joined the majority. Board member Mister Dahlman cast the lone no vote, saying, “My conscience will not let me vote yes on this.”

The board first voted 7–0 to accept the staff‑recommended conditions and then approved the petition subject to those conditions by a 6–1 vote. The chair announced the matter will proceed to the McHenry County Board with the ZBA’s recommendation and the written conditions and findings.

The decision does not itself authorize construction: Commonwealth Edison interconnection upgrades, final stormwater and building permits, a finalized bond and any other state or county permits noted in staff materials must still be completed. The county’s water resources division will perform a detailed stormwater and drain‑tile review before issuance of a building permit. The county board will consider the ZBA’s recommendation at a subsequent meeting.