Boone County board rejects US 20 solar special‑use permit after neighbors cite drainage, view and health concerns

Boone County’s Administrative Committee declined to approve a special‑use permit for a proposed 5‑megawatt ground‑mounted solar array near U.S. Route 20 on March 5, after more than two hours of public comment and a lengthy staff and applicant presentation. The motion to approve failed on a roll‑call vote after the board adopted staff findings and conditions and then took a vote on the project.

The project proponent, represented by attorney Rick Porter, described the proposal as a roughly 20‑acre array on a 106‑acre parcel and said the developer had revised the plan to preserve mature oaks, increase non‑participating setbacks to 150 feet on the northern boundary and split the array into two fenced areas to preserve wildlife corridors. Connor Sales of Solarstone said the facility would produce approximately 8,000,000 kilowatt‑hours annually — about the equivalent of credits for roughly 1,100 homes — and that the interconnection is to a local ComEd distribution line serving the Belvidere substation.

“We have agreed to screening, increased setbacks and a decommissioning bond,” Sales said, adding that…