Solar farms, DEI and other topics draw attention in McHenry County’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan

McHenry County soon could have a new 2050 comprehensive plan that, while nonbinding, includes controversial topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion as well as solar farms.

The plan is meant to be a guide for officials as they make decisions, and it touches on issues such as preserving natural resources, transportation and land use.

Officials in a recent public hearing went through the plan and noted three themes that appeared: sustainability; public health and wellness; and diversity, equity and inclusion.

The plan focuses on unincorporated areas of the county and notes that although the county can’t govern over municipalities, the county should work with municipalities and townships on land use.

One concept that’s mentioned is the “15-minute city,” based on the idea that people can get to what they need on a daily basis within a 15-minute walk of their residence. Mary Donner, chair of the Regional Planning Commission, which crafted the plan, suggested renaming it to 15-minute neighborhood or community, a tweak that has appeared in the draft of the plan.

Other issues raised in the plan include solar farms and electric vehicles. Solar farms have been a hot topic across the County Board, with some board members expressing frustration with solar farms, feeling their hands are tied on approving them based on current Illinois law.

“Promoting smart solar development” was a topic included in the plan. Some of the recommendations outlined in the section include wildlife-friendly fencing and management of stormwater runoff during and after solar farm construction, according to a draft of the plan. It also advises the “county should adhere to industry best practices, with a specific focus on agrivoltaics.” Agrivoltaics is “agricultural production, such as crop or livestock production or pollinator habitats, underneath solar panels or adjacent to solar panels,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy website.

Another section in the 2050 plan encourages the county to adopt solar energy through the use of community solar gardens and agrovoltaics.

A separate 2050 transportation plan is under review by the county, but transportation issues mentioned in that plan, such as road extensions, also make an appearance in the comprehensive plan.

Some of the car-focused goals include “encouraging roundabout development” and making intersection safety improvements, but the comprehensive plan also outlines steps that officials should take to expand public transportation options and reduce car dependency.

Some of the transportation topics are issues that are just starting to appear. The plan suggests McHenry County should try to promote electric vehicle usage through encouraging more charging stations, noting that there’s more charging stations but they might not be getting installed quickly enough. It also encourages the county to look into services like ZipCar to alleviate some of the demand for parking, which is designed to allow people to rent cars for errands for a couple hours or a day trip.

Some of the transportation topics are issues that are just starting to appear. The plan suggests that McHenry County should try to promote electric vehicle usage by encouraging more charging stations, noting that there’s more charging stations but they might not be getting installed quickly enough. It also encourages the county to look into services such as ZipCar – which is designed to allow people to rent cars for errands for a couple hours or a day trip – to alleviate some of the demand for parking.

The Regional Planning Commission sent the plan on to the County Board for further review and adoption. The County Board is free to make tweaks. Officials said they expect the plan will make its way through the County Board next month.

The concept of diversity, equity and inclusion has been a source of controversy on the board despite the current McHenry County strategic plan outlining a goal of encouraging diversity and “welcomeness” within the county.

A paragraph referencing the theme chosen by the National Women’s History Alliance as “women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion” originally was included in a Women’s History Month proclamation in March. The proclamation passed despite the DEI reference’s removal, but most Democratic board members spoke out against the paragraph’s removal. County Board Chair Mike Buehler later told the Northwest Herald that he didn’t think the DEI reference was appropriate.

Several public commenters at a recent public hearing expressed their opposition to the concept.

Commenter Kirk Donald said he liked the idea of the plan “giving renewable energy sources a chance to grow technologically.” But Donald took issue with the DEI language.

“Drop the term DEI,” Donald said. “For conservative people as myself, I find the term to be offensive considering current cultural connotations.”

Donald also said that “the plan necessitates heavy government involvement.”

The Regional Planning Commission, which only meets while comprehensive plans are in the works, according to the county’s website, opted to send the plan on to the County Board.

Officials said at the public hearing that the plan will be before the Planning, Environment and Development Committee in early June before going before the full County Board later in the month.