The McHenry City Council has unanimously voted down a solar farm proposal first pitched to them in July.

Alderwoman Chris Bassi, 4th Ward, who previously indicated support for the plan based on conversations with residents, said this week she could no longer back the solar farm off Curran Road after additional neighbor input.

McHenry’s planning and zoning commission also unanimously voted against the project at its Sept. 17 meeting.

Changes were made since the first time developer, Mildred Solar, based in Madison, brought the concept plan to Council, Bassi said, but it was not enough for her ward, which includes Legend Lakes.

Neighbors “are not comfortable with having the solar farm,” Bassi said.

Opposition to the solar farm was not unanimous among the neighbors she spoke to or received emails from, or from what she read on social media either.

“Residents don’t want, necessarily, a solar farm,” but neither do they want additional housing on that land, Bassi said.

If Mildred found another location for a solar farm in McHenry, it might be welcomed, Bassi said.

“If we ever did business with a solar farm, it would be the one I recommend,” she said.

Forrest Howk, project development director from Mildred, said the company would move solar panels away from the nearest homes, reduce the project size from 88 acres to 35 acres and promised two rows of evergreen trees to create a visual barrier.

Extra panels could also be dropped off and installed for local schools and nonprofit groups, Howk said, adding the company planned a $250,000 community benefit fund for McHenry as part of the project.

Up to 1,000 McHenry homes could subscribe to the solar farm, Howk said, with the potential savings of $2,000 a year for each home. It would also bring a higher property tax to McHenry, as compared to the current farmland, Howk said.

Alderwoman Sue Miller, 7th Ward, thanked the Mildred staff for working with the city to try and find common ground.

“No one here is anti-solar,” Miller said. “The location is the problem.”

Another solar farm – this one in McHenry County at 6415 and 6517 Bull Valley Road, also off Curran Road – is also in the works. The next hearing for the Pebble Solar LLC, project is set for 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.

That is an issue for residents, Bassi said.

“They don’t necessarily want two solar farms in such close proximity,” she said.