Jim Webster

Second of three stories looking at a proposed solar farm in Winnebago County

The proposed Tate Road solar farm in northwestern Winnebago County received
a thumbs down from the county’s Zoning Committee on Oct. 23.

Members of the Zoning Committee voted 4-1 against the solar farm proposal, with two members
abstaining from the vote.

The Zoning Committee reviewed the solar farm proposal, considering recommendations from the Winnebago County Zoning Board of Appeals and citizen testimony voiced at the Oct. 9 ZBA meeting.

Tate Road neighbors and solar farm representatives attended the committee meeting but did not speak, as their comments were recorded at the ZBA meeting.

“Winnebago County is not against solar farms; however, there is a right time and
a right place for their construction,” said Jim Webster, Zoning Committee chair. “We’ve
had eight proposals in the last three years to build solar farms in Winnebago County.
Currently, three solar farms are operational.”

Webster expects that Winnebago County will have a “flurry” of solar farm proposals in the next several years due to the Illinois Counties Code (55ILCS5/5-12020), which states, “…the County may not adopt zoning regulations that disallow, permanently or temporarily commercial solar energy facilities from being developed or operated in any district zoned to allow agricultural or industrial uses…”

“The state of Illinois doesn’t have Winnebago County’s best interest in mind with
this mandate,” Webster said. “If a county opposes a solar farm for any reason, the Illinois Counties Code law only intensifies that opposition,” Webster said. “The Zoning Committee has to view solar farm proposals like puzzle pieces. We can’t force them to fit where they don’t.”

The Winnebago County Board is set to vote on the Tate Road solar farm proposal
at its Nov. 14 meeting.