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QUINCY–A special permit request for a solar power project along Wisman Lane near North 42nd Street is on the city council agenda for Monday, April 13.
Alderman Mike Adkins (R-Ward 3) made a motion at the last city council meeting to reject the plan commission’s recommendation for the project. Alderman Kelly Mays (R-Ward 3) offered the second of that motion.
The full council voted to table the issue for another week.
Quincy, IL Solar 5, LLC has requested a special use permit to allow for the construction and operation of a three-megawatt community solar project at 3909 Wisman Lane.
It is outside city limits near Ward 3, but is close enough to be under the purview of the Quincy City Council.
It is zone M3 (planned industrial district).
After Adkins and Mays made their motion, Eric Entrup (R-Ward 1) referenced past discussions on the project.
“Is there any new evidence to go against the plan commission’s decision?” Entrup said. “Just curious.”
It was then that Mayor Linda Moore called on the city’s planning director, Jason Parrott, to address the council.
While they waited for Parrott to walk up to the podium, Mays interjected.
“As a council, we have yet to approve a special use permit for solar panels,” Mays said. “That’s why.”
“If you looked at the sites that have been proposed for these, this would really be one that fits the most with our code,” Parrott said. “Because when we added our solar ordinance, we established that as a special use permit, it could be located in an Industrial (district). Anything else would require a special permit for planned development.”
Parrott went on to explain that the area offers no residential opportunity because, with industrial zoning, there is no construction of residential.
“So that’s why we wanted to gear these towards industrial,” he said. “The only other one that has been considered since we adopted that ordinance was the one that was in the rural area at 36th and Ellington.”
But Mays said she thought if it was the right zoning then a project wouldn’t need a special use permit.
Parrott said there’s nowhere in Quincy that is a permitted use by right.
“The next phase is the special use permit,” Parrott explained. “That is where we would intend these to go toward industrial. Anything else, if it’s residential, if it’s rural, if it’s commercial, then they would have to get a special permit for planned development, which requires conditions you could have placed on it.
“These-the only condition is-must follow the actual code because if we wanted a solar farm, we would want it to be industrial versus other types of property.”
Entrup raised the question of possible legal action against the city if the council voted against the project.
“I was always told you had to have some sort of new evidence,” Entrup said.
According to City of Quincy Corporation Counsel Bruce Alford, there would have to be a reason why the permit doesn’t meet code standards. For example, if it were detrimental or endangers health.
“We’ll find that out in the first hail storm,” Adkins said.
“I know the hail storm will damage the solar panels,” Alford said. “I don’t know if it endangers the neighbors or public health.”
Alford said he understood Adkins’ concerns about potential damage, but, up until the night of the meeting, was unaware of Adkins’ issue with the project.
“We’re going to need a reason why one of those seven conditions (in the ordinance) isn’t met,” Alford said.
Parrott added that the item was part of the most recent plan commission meeting, where no one spoke on this particular project.
“Because I did not anticipate anything on this, the individual who is representing this company was willing to fly out to be here, I told them not to,” Parrott said. “I would ask to table for a week, so that she can fly out and answer questions.”
Adkins and Mays agreed to withdraw their motion to reject the proposal, and the full council, on a unanimous voice vote, agreed to give it a week.
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Cloudy skies with periods of rain this afternoon. High 76F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
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