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Commission reviews variance for large ground-mounted solar at 1037 Willard Street
Summary
The Galesburg Planning and Zoning Commission heard a request to increase the maximum allowed private ground-mounted solar area from 200 square feet to roughly 676 square feet at 1037 Willard Street; the Development Review Committee recommended approval and no neighbor complaints were reported.
The Galesburg Planning and Zoning Commission on the record discussed a variance request from APCON to allow a private ground-mounted solar energy system at 1037 Willard Street to exceed the zoning ordinance's 200-square-foot maximum.
Chair explained the installation meets all setbacks and other ordinance requirements and that "the development review committee did review this request at their 03/04/2026 meeting and do recommend approval." A committee member pressed the scale of the request, stating, "So this, 676 square feet is over 3 times the maximum." The Chair said larger systems allow homeowners to power more of their house, yielding greater savings, and noted the existing detached garage plus the proposed solar would remain below the ordinance's 30% rear-yard coverage when combined.
The Chair said the city followed required notice procedures, including newspaper notice, letters to adjacent property owners and on-site signage, and reported there had been no calls from neighbors expressing concern. The Chair also said the DRC revisited its calculations after submission and reaffirmed its recommendation.
No formal motion or vote on the variance is recorded in the provided transcript. The commission also discussed that a consultant will be hired this year to review the full development ordinance, which the Chair suggested made wholesale amendments to the new wind-and-solar rule premature.
