New solar farm in the works near Sterling

STERLING – Sterling is considering the construction of a new solar farm at Prairieville and Holly roads.

The Sterling Planning Commission voted no objection March 20 to Sundial Energy’s application for a special-use permit from the Whiteside County Building and Zoning Department for the proposed 4.95-megawatt community solar farm.

The proposed site is located within the city’s 1.5-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction and spans 105 acres. However, the project only would develop 31 acres of parcel 11-12-201-002, owned by the ALAJ Hermes Family Farms Trust.

A March 19 memorandum from City Planner Dustin Wolff recommending that the Planning Commission support Sundial’s petition listed several proposed conditions:

• The parcel’s landowners must enter into a pre-annexation agreement with the city outlining terms for future annexation of the properties to Sterling, which would be valid for up to 20 years. This condition ensures the annexation does not disrupt or delay the growth and development of the city by preventing the extension of public infrastructure.
• The proposed solar array site plan must be revised to include exploring alternative solar array configurations to increase the amount and depth of development land along Prairieville Road. The access drive, electric service and related easement would need to be relocated so as not to affect future development of the land.

Other conditions include details concerning solar array rack mounting, landscaping requirements and animal grazing limitations.

Planning Commission member Allen Przysucha said the project still needs approval from the Sterling City Council and the Whiteside County Board. If approved, the project is expected to take three to six months once construction begins and would include the installation of solar panels, access roads, perimeter fencing, inverter/transformer pads, and above- and below-ground electrical wiring.