Chambana Sun

Champaign County Zoning Board of Appeals met March 28.

Here is the agenda provided by the board:

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call and Declaration of Quorum

3. Approval of Minutes – February 15, 2024, February 29, 2024

4. Correspondence

5. Audience Participation with respect to matters other than cases pending before the Board**

6. Continued Public Hearings

*Case 111-S-23 Petitioner: Anthony Donato, d.b.a. Donato Solar – Bondville LLC

Request: Authorize a photovoltaic solar array with a total nameplate capacity of 6 megawatts (MW), including access roads and wiring, as a second principal use as a County Board Special Use Permit, subject to the rezoning to the AG-2 Agriculture Zoning District in Case 109-AM-23, and including the following waivers of standard conditions (other waivers may be necessary):

Part A: A waiver for locating the PV Solar Array less than one-half mile from an incorporated municipality and within the contiguous urban growth area of a municipality per Section 6.1.5 B.(2)a.

Location: A 77.5-acre tract in the East Half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 12, Township 19 North, Range 7 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Scott Township.

*Case 126-S-23 Petitioner: FFP IL Community Solar, LLC, via agent Christian Schlesinger and participating landowner Kathryn Bonacci

Request: Authorize a Community PV Solar Farm with a total nameplate capacity of 4.5 megawatts (MW), including access roads and wiring, in the AG-2 Agriculture Zoning District, and including the following waivers of standard conditions:

Part A: A waiver for locating the PV Solar Farm less than one-half mile from an incorporated municipality and within the contiguous urban growth area of a municipality per Section 6.1.5 B.(2)a.(a).

Part B: A waiver for locating the PV Solar Farm 45 feet from an adjacent lot that is 10 acres or less in area in lieu of the minimum required 240 feet, per Section 6.1.5 D.(3)a.

Part C: A waiver for entering into a Roadway Upgrade and Maintenance Agreement or waiver therefrom with the relevant local highway authority at a later time in lieu of prior to consideration of the Special Use Permit by the Board, per Section 6.1.5 G. of the Zoning Ordinance.

Other waivers may be necessary.

Location: Three tracts of land totaling 55.81 acres located in the Northeast Quarter of Section 27, Township 19 North, Range 9 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Urbana Township, and commonly known as farmland owned by Kathryn Bonacci in the southwest corner of the intersection of Windsor Road and IL 130 (High Cross Rd), Urbana.

*Case 127-S-23 Petitioner: FFP IL Community Solar, LLC, via agent Christian Schlesinger and participating landowner Kathryn Bonacci

Request: Authorize a second Community PV Solar Farm with a total nameplate capacity of 2.5 megawatts (MW), including access roads and wiring, in the AG-2 Agriculture Zoning District, and including the following waivers of standard conditions:

Part A: A waiver for locating the PV Solar Farm less than one-half mile from an incorporated municipality and within the contiguous urban growth area of a municipality per Section 6.1.5 B.(2)a.(a).

Part B: A waiver for entering into a Roadway Upgrade and Maintenance Agreement or waiver therefrom with the relevant local highway authority at a later time in lieu of prior to consideration of the Special Use Permit by the Board, per Section 6.1.5 G. of the Zoning Ordinance.

Other waivers may be necessary.

Location: Three tracts of land totaling 55.81 acres located in the Northeast Quarter of Section 27, Township 19 North, Range 9 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Urbana Township, and commonly known as farmland owned by Kathryn Bonacci in the southwest corner of the intersection of Windsor Road and IL 130 (High Cross Rd), Urbana.

7. New Public Hearings

*Case 133-S-24 Petitioner: Anthony Donato, d.b.a. Donato Solar – Bondville LLC

Request: Authorize a Data Center as a Special Use Permit in the AG-2 Agriculture Zoning District.

Location: A 77.5-acre tract in the East Half of the Southwest Quarter of Section 12, Township 19 North, Range 7 East of the Third Principal Meridian in Scott Township.

Case 130-AT-24 Petitioner: Zoning Administrator

Request: Amend the Champaign County Zoning Ordinance as follows regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS):

1. Add the following definitions to Section 3.0 Definitions: BATTERY

ENERGY STORAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (BESMS), BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (BESS), TIER-1 BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS, TIER-2 BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. 

2. Add new paragraph 4.2.1 C.8. to provide that a BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM may be authorized as a SPECIAL USE Permit in the AG-1 and AG-2 Agriculture Districts as a second PRINCIPAL USE on a LOT with another PRINCIPAL USE.

3. Amend Section 5.2 as follows:

a. Add “BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM” to be allowed by Special Use Permit in the AG-1 Agriculture, AG-2 Agriculture, B-1 Rural Trade Center, B-4 General Business, I-1 Light Industry and I-2 Heavy Industry Zoning Districts.

b. Add Footnotes 32 and 33 regarding TIER-1 and TIER-2 requirements.

4. Add new Section 6.1.8 TIER-2 BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS to establish regulations including but not limited to:

a. General standard conditions

b. Minimum lot standards

c. Minimum separations

d. Standard conditions for design and installation

e. Standard conditions to mitigate damage to farmland

f. Standard conditions for use of public streets

g. Standard conditions for coordination with local fire protection district

h. Standard conditions for allowable noise level

i. Standard conditions for endangered species consultation

j. Standard conditions for historic and archaeological resources review

k. Standard conditions for acceptable wildlife impacts

l. Screening and fencing

m. Standard condition for liability insurance

n. Operational standard conditions

o. Standard conditions for Decommissioning and Site Reclamation Plan

p. Complaint hotline

q. Standard conditions for expiration of Special Use Permit

r. Application requirements

5. Regarding BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS fees, revise Section 9 as follows:

a. Add new paragraph 9.3.1 K. to add application fees for a BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS Zoning Use Permit.

b. Add new subparagraph 9.3.3 B.(9) to add application fees for a BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS SPECIAL USE permit.

8. Staff Report

9. Other Business

A. Review of Docket

10. Adjournment

https://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyBoard/ZBA/2024/240328/240328_AGENDA.pdf