MOMENCE — A solar farm first approved in 2018 just outside Momence might now be getting closer to reality.

In 2018, the Kankakee County Board granted SunVest Solar of Pewaukee, Wis., a special use permit to develop two solar farms on the property at the southeast corner of Vincennes Trail and East 4000N Road, about two-thirds of a mile outside of the Momence city limits.

The nearly 50-acre parcel was rezoned from residential to agriculture in October 2018 by the county board despite objections expressed by residents and the City of Momence.

Then, in 2019, when the state granted solar farms through a lottery system, SunVest Solar didn’t receive one, causing the project to stall.

But, in September 2021, the Illinois legislature passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, with substantial funding in solar incentives for those put on the waitlist after the 2019 lottery, according to a recent report by Energy News Network.

In December, SunVest New Energy — a partnership between SunVest Solar and New Energy Equity — was awarded 37.6 megawatts of community solar capacity under the Illinois Adjustable Block Program, according to a report by <a href="http://solarpowerworldonline.com" target="_blank">Solar Power World</a>.

The allocation is the single-largest portfolio awarded to any developer group under Illinois’ Community Solar program.

Prior to the allocation, SunVest sought and was granted an extension on a special use permit granted previously by the county board. The permits are valid for 36 months.

“Nothing changed with the plans, so there was no reason to not grant it,” said Delbert Skimmerhorn, director of planning and GIS for Kankakee County.

Whether the requested extension and capacity allocations mean the project is moving forward remains to be seen.

If the project is moving forward, it’s something Momence Mayor Chuck Steele says he is not aware of. He said the city is not a huge fan of the proposed development, but there is little the community can do about it.

“There is not much more we can do,” he said. “We don’t have any actual say in this.”

Because the developer had an extension with the county department, a new permitting process is not required.

SunVest New Energy has until mid-March to notify the Illinois Power Agency — which is the entity that awards solar capacity — if it intends to build any of the projects from its portfolio, according to the Solar Power World report.

A call to SunVest Solar by the Daily Journal seeking comment hasn’t yet been returned.

<strong>Opposition remains</strong>

Tim Navratil, who lives on Vincennes Trail directly across the road from the proposed solar farm, spoke against the project in 2018 and is still opposed to the project, which will have a total of approximately 2,800 solar panels.

“If they build this, they’re going to affect our property values,” he said. “The City [of Momence] doesn’t want this. I don’t want to see them in there.”

Navratil owns a 1,600-square-foot brick ranch with a two-car attached garage on 2 acres of property. He recently added a three-car detached garage with an office on top for his business. He values his home at approximately $250,000.

“I bought this home as a retirement property,” he said.

Navratil said he believes the solar farm will drop the value of his home by $50,000 to $60,000. He based those numbers on sales of homes near a solar farm in McHenry County.

“I’ve got to be on top of this,” he said. “It’s 300 feet from my home.”

A recent report on the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers’ website gave mixed reviews of the impacts of solar farms on property values. Howard Halderman, president and CEO of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management in Indiana, said that properties immediately adjacent to a solar farm might see a negative impact, but measures to hide the solar farm from view could help offset those effects.

“In some cases, farmers who rent land to a solar company will ensure the viability of their farming operation for a longer time period,” Halderman said.

In 2018, SunVest said its lease for the project is 25 years, with a possible five-year extension.