Burr Oak Solar developers discuss proposed project, including tax revenue estimates, with Hinckley-Big Rock 429 School Board

The Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit 429 Board of Education heard a presentation from representatives of Leeward Renewable Energy regarding their proposed 2,000 acre solar facility at Wednesday’s meeting.

Development Associate Chase Lyon shared information about the proposed facility, which would be located south of Perry Road and west of Somonauk Road north of Hinckley.

“As we begin permitting this project, we are taking that true sustainable development and community member message to heart and implementing some very robust setbacks to any of the adjacent landowners or residences to the project. The state of Illinois requires a 150 foot setback to adjacent residences. We’re actually doubling that to be a 300 foot setback as well as any property adjacent to the project that houses the residence. No matter where that residence is located on that parcel, we will be setting back 100 feet from those property lines to the fence and then any other adjacent land will be set back 50 feet from the property line to that fence as well.”

As part of the project, the school district would be set to receive about $27 million in tax revenue from the Burr Oak facility over its 30 year life span. Superintendent Dr. Jessica Sonntag clarified that those funds would need to be levied and used for certain aspects, particularly operations and maintenance of facilities.

“What my thinking was hearing those numbers tonight was that this will be good opportunities to levy for and then transfer into capital projects so that money could be utilized when things happen that we need to do. So we’ve talked facilities things, we’ve talked about a track, we’ve talked about a possible expansion, we’ve talked about operationally just what does our transportation department look like. And we are gonna need roofs and HVAC in the next few years. So all of that money, my thought would be we would discuss as a board that it would go to help those facilities.”

Lyon said there will be a public open house on the Burr Oak project on Monday, June 9 at 5 p.m. at the Hinckley Community Building located at 120 Maple Street.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the June 9th public open house as a “public hearing”. We apologize for the error.