Lee County to vote on solar farm next to historic Whitney House

DIXON – The Lee County Board will vote Thursday on a solar farm proposed next to the historic Col. Nathan Whitney House that has residents concerned about how it would affect the local landmark.

The historic home at 1620 Whitney Road south of Franklin Grove has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. It was built in 1860 for Whitney, a veteran of the War of 1812, who settled in the Franklin Grove area in 1836 and founded the Franklin Grove Nursery and Orchards.

It’s the only nationally registered property in rural Lee County, and it’s worth protecting.”

—  Local historian Mark Wagner

Amboy IL Solar 1 LLC, a part of Distributed Solar Development LLC owned by BlackRock, is looking to develop a six-megawatt solar farm on about 30 acres of land next to the Whitney House near Whitney and McGirr roads.

George Breust, owner of the Whitney House who’s lived there for 20 years, spoke against the project along with local historian Mark Wagner and members of the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society with concerns that the project would endanger the aesthetics of the property and its historical integrity.

[ Solar farm proposed next to historical landmark sparks concerns in Lee County ]

“Being surrounded by solar panels would impact the historical setting of the house, and the context in which the house sits is very unique,” Wagner said. “It’s the only nationally registered property in rural Lee County, and it’s worth protecting.”

Last month, the Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals failed to approve a favorable recommendation for the project in a split vote with members Bruce Forster and Craig Buhrow in favor and Ali Huss and Mike Pratt against. Tie votes count as a failed motion, and no formal recommendation was made.

Huss and Pratt said they were concerned about the potential impact next to the Whitney House as well as the project being on prime farmland.

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Historian Mark Wagner talks about how a proposed solar farm will affect the views and possibly the integrity of the Whitney Mansion in rural Franklin Grove. (Alex T. Paschal - apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

The project would be surrounded by a seven-foot fence, and the company would create visual buffers with small trees or bushes outside of the fence, as required by the Lee County solar ordinance.

Breust said he doesn’t think that the visual buffers will protect the historical aesthetics of his property and that it also would affect his quality of life.

In a statement to Lee County Board members read during committee meetings last week, the company said the historical nature of the house would not be negatively affected and that its place on the national registry is for the house and 10 feet around it, not the entire property.

“The area of significance is architecture; however, the surrounding property does not convey any historic significance,” according to the statement, which added that the orchard and farm are no longer present.

The company conducted a phase 1 archaeological and cultural resource survey and found that the development would not have a negative impact on surrounding structures, including the Whitney House, which would be about 425 to 430 feet away from the solar panels, said Nicholas Yuknis, an environmental scientist from TRC who testified on behalf of the solar company.

“The analysis determined that the Colonel Whitney house will not be destroyed, altered, removed or neglected as a result of the construction of this project,” according to the statement. “The undertaking will not change the character of the house’s use or physical features within its setting that contribute to its historic significance.”

The report was sent to the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office on May 10, a virtual meeting was held in early June concurring with the findings, and a letter of condition will be sent to the county.

Board member Lirim Mimini said they need to represent their constituents, and “people are speaking out in massive numbers” against the project. He said he has never received so many phone calls about an issue in the last six years on the board.

The Zoning Board found that the company provided “no competent evidence to show that the property development would not have an effect on nearby property values due to the historic nature of the neighboring property” and that it would have a significant impact on the character of the neighborhood and surrounding properties.

The company has a lease agreement with landowner David Lyons, and the project footprint is sloped with terraces.

The project would generate about $20,000 in annual property tax revenue and generate enough electricity to power about 900 homes, senior project manager Kevin Hu said.

If approved, construction would begin in April and be completed in November 2024, Hu said.