BOURBONNAIS — St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School’s plans for a solar field to power its building were put on hold Thursday.

The planned project came before Bourbonnais’ Economic and Community Development Committee.

Three of the village’s six trustees — Rick Fischer, Jack Littrell and Angie Serafini — were unable to attend the meeting. Present were trustees Jeff Keast, Bruce Greenlee and Randy King.

The committee tabled a decision whether or not to recommend the project to come before the board of trustees for approval.

Keast, the committee’s chairman, said they want the other trustees to hear the information. He said they also want more information from Solargistix — the California company hired by St. Paul’s to install the solar field.

“I am going to do some research on some of the concerns the residents have,” Keast said.

Information also would be provided to Meadowbrook residents.

<strong>SOLAR POWER</strong>

St. Paul’s officials are requesting a zoning variance to install a seven-row, 792-panel solar field on about 26 acres as the primary source to power the school and church.

The project will cost $1 million, but tax credits from the state of Illinois will allow St. Paul’s to recoup 85% of the cost.

The switch would save St. Paul’s a significant amount of money, officials said. Over 20 years, St. Paul’s would see a savings of about $1 million.

St. Paul’s officials said they are paying between $85,000 and $100,000 annually for their electricity bill.

In the first six months of St. Paul’s current fiscal year, they have paid $43,000 for electricity, a St. Paul’s official said during an April 25 meeting of the village’s Planning Commission and Board of Appeals.

The solar field proposed would cut that down to $5,000 or less.

The board voted to recommend the project to the Economic and Community Development Committee.

The board did recommend St. Paul uses an 8-foot fence around the solar field and plants fir trees near the north and east property line shared with Meadowbrook subdivision to nearby residents. This would block the view of the solar field, which is located on St. Paul’s southeast property corner.

St. Paul’s trustee Tom Stirnaman said the trees would grow to 20 feet in height. They also will be installing an 8-foot fence around the solar panels. There also will be fir trees planted around the fence to help obstruct the view.

<strong>CONCERNED RESIDENTS</strong>

Because the solar field is proposed to be ground mounted, the request for the variance for special use permit had to come before the board, village of Bourbonnais Assistant Administrator Laurie Cyr said at the April 25 meeting.

If the panels were located on the roof, no such permit is needed in an R-1 zone, according to the village’s code.

Brett Reum said he has owned a business in Bourbonnais for 30 years.

“I’m not saying I am against this, but I want to protect our residents and our neighborhood,” Reum said.

Reum said a couple of items came up during the April 25 zoning meeting.

It appears the village does not have regulations regarding solar panels in the municipal code.

“This needs to be looked at more carefully than it appears to have been done so far. Obviously, it’s a huge benefit for St. Paul’s, but let’s not make it a negative to all the neighbors that live close by.”

Reum held up a petition signed by about 40 residents of the subdivision that were concerned about the project.

They would like more research and more caretaking than putting a solar farm in a residential area. There have been solar farms constructed in farm fields in Kankakee County.

Reum said this is different.

“This is 200 feet from the house of Nikita Tribbett,” Reum said. “We would just like a lot of caretaking before we do it.”

Tribbett said she has put a lot of money into her property and for upkeep.

“To put this project behind me: What type of fall out are we going to have? And not just me, it affects my property and my value, it will affect other people in the neighborhood.”

Reum said a search on the internet of Solargistics did not find a lot of information.

“Other than getting a quote, you can’t talk to them. That’s a concern as well,” Reum said.

Dwight Lockwood has lived in the subdivision for 18 years.

“We want them to succeed. We do not want to see St. Paul’s failing. We don’t want an empty church and an empty school,” Lockwood said.

“Some of the neighbors right there on Meadowbrook backup next to [St. Paul’s property] work there. A lot of the kids in the neighborhood go there. We like that. That’s a good thing.”

Mayor Paul Schore said in order for St. Paul’s to add the solar field to its property, it must be granted a special use permit. It first goes before the planning board.

“After the planning commission, they report to the board. The village board is going to end up deciding what is going to happen with that information.

“We’re trying to hear you, that is what we are here about. We’re going through the process. Part of the reason is to slow the process down. So, it’s not just a one-done and that’s it. It goes through a few groups before something like that is decided.”

Keast said it gives the village multiple sets of eyes to look over a proposal.

“It also gives us a chance to do some research,” Keast said.

<strong>SOLARGISTIX</strong>

Rod Place is CEO of Solargistix, which is located in San Ramon, Calif. He was part of the meeting via Zoom.

Place said they are trying to help the church and school reduce their electricity bill.

“We’re not here to hurt anyone. I don’t want to offend any of the homeowners, and I appreciate and respect everyone’s opinion. I absolutely want to hear everyone’s opinion on that.”

They have installed many panels made by Solar America, which is the U.S. company that manufactures the solar panels being used in the project.

“We have 20 years of putting this product in. We have never had a problem with lead leaking into fields,” Place said.

“I think it would be prudent to have specific reports that deliver studies from different entities that show that is not the case. I can sit here and tell you something that is just my word. We can hear from other people, and it is just their word. I recommend we look at true studies of this over the last 20 to 30 years.

“We are not here to hurt anyone. We’re here to help the church and the school, but again, I don’t want to offend any of the homeowners.”

Place said the company would be forwarding documents to the village as well as having company officials available to answer questions.