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Decision on South Barrington solar farm proposal delayed

A vote on a plan to create a solar farm where a landfill once operated in South Barrington has been delayed at least until next month.

The village board was scheduled to consider issuing a permit for the commercial project when it meets at 7 p.m. Thursday. But the village’s plan commission, which advises the board on development matters and took up the proposal Tuesday, isn’t done reviewing it, Village Administrator Mike Dropka said.

The plan focuses on 110 acres of vacant land at 541 E. Mundhank Road. Owned by the Phoenix-based Republic Services waste disposal company, the site was used as a landfill until the 1980s.

A New York company called AC Power wants to install a ground-mounted array of solar panels on part of the site. The firm typically partners with landowners to turn low-value properties such as landfills and quarries into solar farms, with no up-front or maintenance costs to the owners, according to the company’s website.

Once the field is set up, the company envisions creating a community solar program that would allow nearby homeowners to connect their electricity accounts to the solar farm and get credits on their electrical bills for their share of the power produced.

Nearby residents, including some who live in neighboring Hoffman Estates, aren’t sold on the plan. Several have raised concerns about possible health impacts, flooding, aesthetics and other issues.

Plan commission members discussed the proposal Tuesday and still have questions they’ve asked a solar consultant to answer, Dropka said. The commission will take up the matter again on Jan. 27.

If the commission recommends the plan move forward, the village board could discuss it in February, Dropka said.

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