The developers of a proposed 48-acre solar farm in DeKalb and Mayfield townships received approval from the DeKalb County Board this week in a split vote.
Coltonville Solar Farm, which is expected to become an almost 4.4-megawatt commercial solar facility, will be owned and operated by Surya Powered, according to DeKalb County documents.
Those documents show that the facility will be southwest of Sycamore’s city limits, predominantly north of Coltonville Road. The solar energy facility will be built across the street from the property that was recently annexed into the city of Sycamore as a part of a developer’s bid to create new commercial business space.
The land where the solar energy system will be built is zoned for agricultural uses, meaning the developers needed to secure a special use permit from the county to proceed with their plans.
The solar panels, when at full tilt, will not be allowed to be taller than 20 feet, according to one of the 39 conditions DeKalb County has set for the project, according to county documents.
That permit was approved by the DeKalb County Board in a 16-6 vote on Wednesday.
Of the six DeKalb County Board members who voted against the developers’ special use permit request, one is a Democrat and five are Republicans.
The head of the DeKalb County Republican Party, Tim Bagby, District 3, was joined by fellow party and Board members Suzanne Fahnestock, District 5; Ronda Henke, District 1; Rebecca Johnson, District 12 and Joseph Marcinkowski, District 11.
DeKalb County Board member Benjamin Haier, District 5, voted against the developer’s request for permission to create the Coltonville Solar Farm. He also voted against a nearly 2,000-acre solar facility that received county approval in September. In that vote and Wednesday’s vote, Haier was the only Democrat on the DeKalb County Board to vote against the developments.