Recognized As The Best Medium-Sized, Nondaily Newspaper In Illinois
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
PAXTON — A solar farm is planned for 25 acres of farmland just outside of Paxton, Mayor Bill Ingold revealed during the city council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 9.
“About a week or so ago, the city attorney (Tony Schuering) and I were on a Zoom phone call with somebody inquiring about the possibility of locating a 25-acre solar farm near Paxton,” Ingold told aldermen. “It would be near some property that was contiguous (to city limits), and they asked about a possible annexation (of that land into city limits). … And what we said (in response) was that we would want to kind of bring it up (to the council first) … to see what you thought.”
While two of the six aldermen present for the meeting said they were against any solar farm being built on farmland, the council agreed to hear the developer’s pitch anyway. Ingold said he would contact the developer the next morning to arrange for them to attend the council’s July 14 meeting to provide further details and answer any questions.
In response to a question from Alderman Rob Pacey, Schuering said the council could expect the project’s permitting to move quickly if that would be the council’s desire.
“If they come (to the meeting) in July and you are interested in moving forward with the project, it would be up for a vote for your consideration in August,” Schuering told aldermen.
In addition to the council’s approval of the annexation, the city’s zoning code seems to incidicate that the project would require approval of a special-use permit — plus the agriculturally zoned land’s rezoning to a permitted use district — following a public hearing before the city’s planning and zoning commission.
While few details of the project were publicly disclosed by the mayor or city attorney, including the developer’s name and the project’s proposed location near Paxton, Ingold did reveal that the solar farm would not include any battery storage facilities and would not be located in the city’s tax-increment financing district, “because it’s not in there right now.”
Schuering said in response to a question from Alderman Kristen Larson that he was unsure of the project’s electricity generating capacity. Ingold said he was told the electricity would feed into the grid for use locally by residents and businesses here in Paxton.
Also in reply to a question from Larson, Schuering was unable to say whether the developer already owns the involved property or instead plans to either buy or lease it.
“I think that would be a good question for them,” Schuering replied. “Based on the conversation that we had with them, I don’t know that we could have really inquired on that, frankly. (The discussion) was more so about, ‘Let’s check with the council and see if they’re interested in having the discussion.’ If you are, then we can get them here and let them speak for themselves.”
“Right now, we’re just taking your temperature to see what you think,” Ingold told aldermen. “If this is something that you’d like to hear more about, we’ll invite them to come to the July meeting.”
Aldermen Justin Withers and Deane Geiken both said they were not in favor of solar farms being built on farmland but said they would be willing to hear out the developer anyway.
“I would suggest that we at least hear what they have to say before we make a decision on anything,” Alderman Mike Wilson said.
“I’m OK with that,” Geiken replied.
“We have an obligation, I think, to at least have more information than we have right now,” Pacey said.
Ingold noted that even if annexation is not pursued and the project remains outside of city limits, the city could still have a say in whether it is allowed, as the city has zoning authority withina11/2-mileradiusof its corporate boundaries.
“We do zone out a mile and a half, so we do kind of control what’s going on,” Ingold said. “If we told them ‘no’ and they don’t annex (the land) into the city, they could always go to the county (for a special-use permit).”
Schuering said some developers of solar farms might pursue annexation and a city-issued permit because, among other reasons, “there’s a little bit more regulatory certainty if they go through our process as opposed to keeping it in the county.”
“Also, frankly, I think we can do it faster,” Schuering said. “I think we can go through the regulatory hearings and the processes and all of that more expeditiously than counties can. … It’s just the process that they have to go through (at the county level) looks different and, as a result, takes longer.”
Also present for the meeting was Alderman Joe Reinhart. Absent were Aldermen Eric Evans and Matt Greenburg.
The council’s July 14 meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 145 S. Market St.
Enter your e-mail address below to join our mailing list!
Our Hometown DMCA Notices
Newspaper website content management software and services

source