South Dixon Solar testimony wraps up, residents speak out about project

DIXON – Testimony recently wrapped up for the proposed 3,800-acre solar farm south of Dixon, and about a dozen people spoke against or in support of the project.

South Dixon Solar LLC, of energy giant Duke Energy, petitioned the county in 2020 for a special-use permit to build a utility-grade solar farm, but the Lee County Board ultimately voted down the proposal in February with an 18-to-4 vote after residents raised concerns that not all surrounding neighbors were properly notified via mail of the project as required.

The company is re-petitioning the county, and there have been several meetings during the quasi-judicial hearing process where testimony, evidence and public comment is presented to the Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals.

The $450 million project is estimated to generate enough energy to power about 100,000 homes, would be built across 3,838 acres of property leased from 25 landowners and is estimated to bring in about $59 million in property taxes across the 40-year lifespan of the project, Duke Business Development Director Jeff Neves said.

Environmental engineer and resident Jennifer Lawson said she’s not against renewable energy but opposes the project because of concerns such as cutting off future development, how tying up the land for 40 years shouldn’t be considered a temporary use, the effect on tourism, and whether transmission lines would be able to handle the project.

Resident Martha Johannsen said she thinks it would be a mistake to use prime farmland for solar power rather than food production.

“It’s a poor substitute for the use of this land,” she said.

Community members also expressed skepticism of testimony from real estate consultant Michael MaRous who said his market analysis didn’t show any data indicating that solar developments would have a negative effect on property values.

Resident Jim Tourtillott said he doubts someone would want to buy a home surrounded by 3,800 acres of solar arrays, he worries about water runoff and how the project might not be good for the local farming community.

“It will affect our neighborhood and our lives for a very long time,” he said.

Dixon Mayor Li Arellano Jr. spoke in favor of the project on behalf of the City Council, which agreed to send a letter of support this time around after not taking a stance during the first petition process. He said the council spoke with company officials in the past about concerns such as how it would affect the watershed and Fargo Creek, which is prone to flooding, as well as blocking further development south and affecting future city plans.

He said those concerns weren’t quite addressed during the first time, but they’ve mostly been ironed out.

“The city recognizes as a rural community the advantages of technology and solar and energy production that are there,” Arellano said.

Three carpenter and millwright union representatives also spoke in favor of the project and the 450 temporary construction jobs it would create in the area.

The company made its second petition before the county tweaked its solar ordinance to better address resident concerns about utility-grade developments, but South Dixon Solar officials have committed to following the bulk of the changes from the latest ordinance, which includes increased setbacks and requirements for visual screens like planting bushes.

Community members have voiced concerns over how massive solar projects fit in with the Lee County Comprehensive Plan, which emphasizes to “maintain the agricultural economy in the county by limiting non-agricultural development on prime farmland, preserve the rural character and farming lifestyle of the county, and preserve and enhance the aesthetic quality of the county.”

Dixon attorney Courtney Kennedy, representing the company, said the Zoning Board is bound to judge the project on whether it fits into the county’s solar ordinance rather than the county’s comprehensive plan, which is a goal and can change.

In previous testimony, Jennifer Klingshirn, senior project manager and environmental scientist with Energy Renewable Partners, said overall solar production is a form of agricultural use, and it allows land to rest for 40 years before being returned to farmland. She said it preserves and improves the longterm health of soils.

The public comment portion of the hearing will continue at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the third floor boardroom of the old Lee County Courthouse. The meeting also is accessible via zoom and will be streamed on YouTube. For information, go to leecountyil.com.