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Developer briefs Pinckneyville council on Kiwi Road Solar Phase 2; city requires new zoning hearing
Summary
New Leaf Energy updated the council on Kiwi Road Solar 1 (2 MW) and proposed Kiwi Road Solar 2, described construction methods and projected tax revenues, and was advised by the city attorney to apply for a new Special Use Permit and Zoning Board public hearing for phase two.
Pinckneyville — Tom Ryan of New Leaf Energy, Inc. told the Pinckneyville City Council on Nov. 12 that Kiwi Road Solar 1, a 2-megawatt system, is under construction and that the company plans a second-phase installation on the same parcel.
Ryan described the project’s construction approach — pile-driven racking rather than concrete pads — and said the site will be seeded with a native pollinator mix that would be mowed on a schedule after establishment. He reported the combined installations are expected to pay more than $200,000 in property taxes over 20 years, with more than $67,000 estimated to go to the City of Pinckneyville, in addition to lease payments to landowners.
Ryan asked whether the second phase requires further action from the city. City Attorney Don Bigham reviewed the original Zoning Board application and said that application covered the first phase only. Bigham advised that a second phase requires a new application and a public hearing before the Zoning Board under the city’s zoning ordinance. Ryan was directed to contact Economic Development Coordinator and Zoning Administrator Carrie Gilliam for the application form and next steps.
No vote or permit was taken at the Nov. 12 meeting; the developer must submit the required zoning application and participate in the public hearing process before the council or the Zoning Board may grant approvals.
