Yorkville hears plans for third solar farm

After approving two solar farms in the past year, Yorkville City Officials heard a proposal for a third solar farm at their March 5 Economic Development Committee meeting.

Chicago-based solar company Nexamp is proposing the development of Corneils Road Solar, LLC, a community solar farm just north of Yorkville city limits.

The petitioner is requesting annexation, rezoning, and special use permit approval to construct a 35-acre solar farm in unincorporated Kendall County, directly north of Corneils Road between Beecher Road and Route 47, just west of Rob Roy Creek.

Nexamp representatives Daniel Kramer and Michael Keith presented the development proposal to the committee members. Developers told city officials that they would maintain and operate the solar farm once constructed.

As proposed, the 5-megawatt solar farm development would construct 11,592 panels and a freestanding commercial solar collector systems on the property. The system will include two central inverters and one to two transformers which would be mounted on a cement pad.

The project also would construct an interconnection system underground with several above ground poles to connect to the ComEd distribution line on Corneils Road. The solar panels would not exceed a height of 20 feet, and the entire solar array and accessory systems would be enclosed in an 8 feet tall chain link fence.

The petitioner is seeking to annex three unincorporated agricultural parcels, a total of 94-acres, currently owned by Gary and Betty Bennett. The property has an existing farm homestead and accessory buildings, and the proposed site would be accessed via Corneils Road through an existing gravel driveway, which developers would connect to the solar farm.

The petitioner will enter a 20-year lease agreement with the property owners to operate the proposed solar farm, with the option to extend the lease term for one 10-year term and up to two additional five-year terms.

As proposed, the array would be more than 1,300 feet from the nearest unincorporated residential property line and about 2,000 feet from the nearest residential property in Yorkville, the Caledonia subdivision to the south.

Annexation is contingent upon City Council approval of rezoning from the current A-1 Special Use to A-1 Agricultural District and special use authorization for the solar farm.

A public hearing for the proposed rezoning and special use consideration is tentatively set for the April 10 Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, and a public hearing for the proposed annexation agreement is set for the April 23 City Council meeting.

Yorkville City Council members recently approved two other solar farms in the city, both in split votes.

In October 2023, the council approved a special-use permit for Colorado-based Turning Point Energy to construct a 14,000 panel solar farm in the Bristol Ridge area. The 5-megawatt facility will occupy a 54-acre site on the east side of Cannonball Trail along the north side of the BNSF Railway. The Bristol Ridge solar farm is estimated to produce enough electricity to power 1,300 homes.

In December 2023, the council approved a special use permit for Massachusetts-based developer New Leaf Energy to construct a 9,700 panel solar farm on an 18.5-acre lot east of Beecher Road just north of the BNSF Rail Road on the northwest side of the city. The 5-megawatt array is estimated to produce enough electricity to power about 850 homes.

City officials also are considering amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance that would limit the number of solar farms in the city to five and restrict their locations to at least 1,000 feet from the nearest major roadway or the Fox River. These amendments have not yet been approved, but are expected to go before City Council for possible vote later this month.

The proposed location of the Corneils Road Solar Farm meets the UDO criteria being considered.