Princeton Zoning Board of Appeals recommends solar installation

The Princeton Planning and Zoning Commission approved Bureau County Advisory for the use of a solar installation during Tuesday’s meeting.

City Clerk Peter Nelson said the city was giving advisory guidance to Bureau County because the solar installation would not affect Princeton, but it was within a mile and a half of Princeton’s corporate limits.

The land is located at 2100 E. St. at 1800 North Ave. and is owned by Jim Rapp, who will be leasing the land.

“The sequestered area is about 95 acres. The solar array will only occupy about 17.2 acres,” Nelson said. “The electricity gathered from that array is not going to go onto the Princeton grid. It is going to go onto to the Ameren.”

Nelson said there were two aspects at play for the board to consider before voting; a variation to construct a proposed commercial solar energy facility as close to 350 feet from the corporate boundary line instead of a mile and a half, and the other a conditional use to build and operate a five megawatt commercial solar energy facility.

The proposed site was chosen because of its location and its proximity to interconnect the proposed project to the power grid, according to the Bureau County Planning and Zoning documents.

Member Jackie Davis said she didn’t see a problem with Solar Installation and it seemed like the “perfect place to put it” but asked if any neighbors had contacted the city with any concerns. None were expressed.

Nelson said they would pass the result to Bureau County and a hearing date for the county is on Thursday, Dec. 21.

The committee voted 5-0 with no objections. Members Rodney Lange and Ian Cardosi were absent.