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A plan for a 2,400-acre solar farm in Crete and unincorporated Will County received its second round of approvals last week, this time from the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission. The project is pending final approval from the Will County Board.
While members of the public were largely against the project when it was presented to the Crete Village Board March 9, feedback was more mixed at last week’s more than four-hour long meeting in Joliet.
Earthrise Energy, based in Arlington, Virginia, received preliminary approval for a special use permit that allows it to construct a solar farm that will span about 1,900 acres of unincorporated Will County. Crete already annexed about 200 acres along the village’s boundaries and plans to annex 620 more acres.
The commission agreed to allow Earthrise to mow the property only once between May and October, rather than five times as required by statute, as the company said more mowings could negatively affect native pollinators and habitats. It also agreed to allow for plants to grow as tall as 36 inches, rather than the typically allowed 13 inches.
Similarly to its presentation to the Crete board, Earthrise representatives pitched a project that will generate $2.3 million in revenue for taxing bodies, including about $40,000 to the village of Crete and $135,000 to Will County.
The company also answered questions posed by commission members and heard concerns about and support for the solar farm from meeting attendees. Commission member John Kiefner asked whether $1.2 million in estimated contributions to Crete-Monee School District 201-U could be passed on to taxpayers, which Earthrise said was possible but up to the district’s board.
“This is where these people, if this project comes to fruition, they should be hammering on their public officials, ‘lower my taxes. Don’t just take this extra money and spend it,’” said Kiefner, who voted in favor of the project. “But I kind of chuckled at that thought because I know the true nature of most politicians.”
Several community members said they thought it unlikely the school district would offer a tax rebate in response to the cash infusion from Earthrise.
The project received support from local environmental groups and unions whose workers may be hired to help with construction. The project expects to create several hundred temporary union construction jobs in addition to about 30 permanent jobs.
Patrick Hosty, executive director of the Chicago area Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, said “this proposal will help stimulate the local construction industry while providing steady incomes and well-deserved benefits for our union laborers and their families.”
“Ultimately, all that will be pumped back into the local and regional economies,” Hosty said.
Representatives from Governors State University and other organizations also expressed support for the project, saying it will create workforce development opportunities for young people seeking experience in trades.
But Tony Janowski said his union, the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, was excluded from the project, shifting opportunities away from some workers. Earthrise agreed to employ workers from three unions, which he said “opens up doors for out-of-county workers.”
“We don’t really know what’s going to happen with this project when you don’t have the entire community involved,” Janowski said.
Several farmers also expressed opposition about construction of a solar farm near their properties and said they were not given enough notice.
“Those of us who made the decision to move away from industrial and city landscapes to enjoy the quiet, peaceful and beautiful advantages of living in vast farmlands were never considered in this decision,” Steven Roberts said. “Never once were we approached by Earthrise — never once did we have a flyer left on our door.”
The next Will County Board meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on April 16 at 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
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