Kane County Board denies plan for solar farm near Gilberts
The Kane County Board has rejected a request to build a 47-acre solar-energy-collecting farm near Gilberts, on land the village believes is a prime spot for commercial development.
Big Timber Solar LLC, on behalf of Surya Powered, sought permission to install the electricity-generating panel array at the southeast corner of Route 72 and Big Timber Road.
The company needs a special-use permit from the county because the land is unincorporated. It is zoned for farming, and solar panel arrays are allowed as special uses.
The village board in Gilberts objected to the idea because it envisions the land would be better used for industrial buildings, stores and multi-family and single-family housing, according to a resolution it adopted on Oct. 15.
It also raised concerns about security lighting and whether the landscaping proposed would be adequate to screen the site from view.
The land is within the village’s land-use planning area, even though it is unincorporated, because village growth may result in it being annexed.
In addition, the site is near Pingree Grove, which doubled its population from 2010 to 2020, according to U.S. Census records. The Pingree Grove board also formally objected to the plan.
Twenty-one Kane County Board members voted against the request. Only Gary Daugherty, whose district it is in, and Deborah Allan voted for it.
Board member Cliff Surges urged the board to reject the idea, saying residents near the area expect the land at that intersection to be developed with amenities such as stores.
There is a residential subdivision to the west of the site. The other three corners have farmland, according to maps presented in the application.
One board member asked if some land fronting the roads could remain vacant for building stores with the solar array behind it. But Robert McNeill, a representative for the applicant, said no.
This year, the board has considered several applications for solar farms. It is being sued for denying one proposed for a site along Meredith Road near Maple Park.
The city of Aurora is suing the county over the approval of one just outside its western limits, off Barnes Road.
The county recently completed a solar panel farm on the grounds of the Kane County Judicial Center campus near St. Charles.