Ottawa approves first solar farm within city limits

After months of discussion and revisions, the Ottawa City Council voted Tuesday to approve a solar farm on the city’s east side, greenlighting a project that was under review since March.

SunVest Solar LLC plans to install a large-scale solar energy system on about 19 acres of a 64-acre property off Canal Road near the ADM terminal.

The remainder of the property, about 45 acres, could be donated to the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation for public, low-impact use such as walking trails.

Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty abstained from the vote due to a potential conflict of interest, citing his position on the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation board and involvement with the organization’s insurance.

“I would be financially compensated for providing liability insurance to the foundation, so therefore I will be abstaining from the vote,” Hasty said.

The solar project was presented to the Ottawa Plan Commission by SunVest Regional Director of Project Development Bill Finch earlier this year.

Finch said the solar farm would include 24/7 monitoring and biannual maintenance, with no need for water or sanitary infrastructure. A security fence and landscaping would be added to buffer the site from nearby properties.

“While the project may seem large and disruptive, solar farms are good neighbors,” Finch told commission members in March. “They’re quiet during the day and completely silent at night.”

Concerns about access to the portion of land being considered for public use were discussed at length Tuesday night.

Commissioner Wayne Eichelkraut questioned how people would safely reach the area, especially given the lack of parking or defined access points.

“We certainly don’t want people walking down Canal Road to get there,” Eichelkraut said. “There’s no parking, so there’s no access.”

Finch said the land gift remains conceptual, with no official agreement in place yet.

“We haven’t worked out the finite details,” Finch said.

He also said access from Canal Road could be considered in the future, and Heritage Harbor may play a role in land stewardship, including invasive species removal and general maintenance.

“I think this puts the land on track to be useful again – useful for solar power, but also for building some kind of a nature preserve that people can use,” said Tom Heimsoth, managing partner of Heritage Harbor.

Some council members recognized the project’s lingering concerns, particularly about public safety and unanswered questions from residents during earlier meetings.

“I really don’t feel like some of the safety questions raised by the public and some Plan Commission members were adequately answered,” Commissioner Thomas Ganiere said.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Melissa Sampson, a local resident with a property adjacent to the proposed solar farm, urged the council to consider increasing the required setback distance between solar panels and her family’s home.

The Sampsons have been at every public hearing and meeting regarding the project for months. On Tuesday, she cited safety concerns and questioned whether the city’s current 150-foot setback was enough.

Sampson suggested that developments should benefit the surrounding community while also minimizing harm to nearby residences.

She told the council that she had researched solar regulations in 37 different counties, noting that eight of them required setbacks of 500 feet or more.

While she acknowledged state legislation limits local authority to deny these projects, she emphasized her goal was not to stop the proposal but to ensure the safety of her family.

“This is all about safety,” Sampson said. “If we could just be a little bit farther away – we’re not trying to stop it.”

She also expressed frustration with the developer, Finch, claiming that he had only made one modification to his proposal despite repeated requests to engage with nearby residents.

However, multiple members emphasized that the land is zoned for industrial use, and a solar farm is a far less-intense development than other potential uses.

“This seems like the right property for this particular solar farm,” Commissioner Brent Barron said. “I think it could be much worse. The location is probably not good for much else.”

Ultimately, the project was approved with Hasty’s abstention and Ganiere casting the lone opposing vote.

Now approved, this solar project will be the first to operate within city limits.