$28.3 million solar farm proposed in Grundy County

    Grundy County’s Zoning Board of Appeals has  scheduled a public hearing on a special use request for the installation of a solar farm in Mazon Township.
    Cypress Creek Renewables is seeking county approval to develop a 234-acre site southwest of Mazon  on South Hadden Road. The property is owned by Mazon residents Jim and Laurie Fleischman.
    The planned project comes with an initial $28.3  million investment and once completed, would generate roughly 27.3 kilowatts of power annually, enough to power 2,412 single family homes.
    Although no permanent jobs will be created by the project, it would provide temporary construction jobs during the 20-week construction timeline.  In addition to the solar panels, the site would be fenced and a 400-foot landscaping buffer would be built between the panels and a neighboring residential use to the west of the site.
    Cypress Creek appeared before the county’s Land Use Committee in August to outline its interest in establishing a solar farm within Grundy County. Since that time county officials have been reviewing the plan and putting policies in place regarding the establishment and use of such farms.
    The proposal has met some opposition from residents and property owners from around the project site. Some of the concerns addressed include noise,  appearance and the elimination of farm land.
    The hearing is set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 21 in the meeting room of the Grundy County Administration Center, 1320 Union St., Morris.
    Following the hearing the Zoning Board of Appeals will take the matter under consideration and forward a recommendation to approve or deny the special use request to the County Board.