Solar farm OK’d near Sugar Grove despite objections from village

Kane County Board members have approved the construction of an electricity-generating solar panel farm near Sugar Grove.

They voted Tuesday to approve the project despite an objection from the village of Sugar Grove.

The 15-megawatt installation will be on part of an 87-acre piece of farmland at 41W330 Jericho Road in Sugar Grove Township. It is north of Jericho and east of Route 47.

The area is unincorporated, but it’s within the comprehensive planning area for Sugar Grove.

In its letter of objection, the village wrote that putting solar panels on the site would impede future residential development of land to the west of the site.

The land is also close to the village of Montgomery, which had no objections.

The owners of an adjacent farm objected because they were concerned that the solar array might leach hazardous chemicals and heavy metals into the groundwater, particularly if the panels break.

The land would be leased to CFP IL Orchard Solar LLC. The landowner is J.G. Farms Properties LLC. CFP is Clean Field Power.

Sugar Grove has also objected to another proposal, by CFP, to build another 15-megawatt array a little over a mile away on unincorporated property at 40W489 Prairie St.

Meanwhile, the board, meeting Wednesday as a committee of the whole, discussed the possibility of installing solar panels on the site of the former Kane County jail, on Fabyan Parkway in Geneva.

It was one of several ideas floated after the county requested proposals for redeveloping the site, including the possibility of selling it.

The jail closed in 2008 and was torn down. Currently, some equipment for the county’s emergency management department is stored on the site, and there is an impound lot for cars seized by the sheriff.

There is also an unoccupied historical house on the property.

A real estate brokerage recommended solar on the northern portion and commercial and industrial uses on the southern part nearest to Fabyan Parkway.

The site is adjacent to the Fabyan Forest Preserve, the closed Settler’s Hill landfill and the Settler’s Hill golf course.

A 2023 county facilities report suggested the site might be a good place to build a new Kane County Government Center.

In years past, county officials had suggested it would be a good site for a hotel and conference center, given its proximity to the golf course, the Fox Valley Ice Arena and the Kane County Events Center, where the Kane County Cougars minor league baseball team plays.

The site is in the city of Geneva. So whatever would be built on it would have to be approved by Geneva.