City of Yorkville Economic Development Committee met May 2.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Note: In accordance with Public Act 101-0640 and Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation issued by Governor Pritzker pursuant to the powers vested in the Governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, remote attendance was allowed for this meeting to encourage social distancing due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
In Attendance:
Committee Members
Vice-Chairman Ken Koch Alderman Joe Plocher
Alderman Chris Funkhouser Alderman Rusty Corneils
Other City Officials
City Administrator Bart Olson
Assistant City Administrator Erin Willrett
Community Development Director Krysti Barksdale-Noble
Senior Planner Jason Engberg
Code Official Pete Ratos
Other Guests
City Consultant Lynn Dubajic Kellogg J. Scott Osborn, Turning Point Energy Mike Krempski Mr. Kyle Barry, Attorney David Guss
The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Vice-Chairman Ken Koch. Citizen Comments None
Minutes for Correction/Approval March 7, 2023
The minutes were approved as presented.
New Business
1. EDC 2023-18 Building Permit Reports for February and March 2023 Mr. Ratos reported the number of single-family detached and single-family attached permits for February, most of them for Raintree Village and Grand Reserve. There is a push to finish the Raintree area. He said they are trying to keep the mud off the roads and he is checking the area twice a day. He reported the March permits issued and said more detached were built in Grande Reserve.
2. EDC 2023-19 Building Inspection Reports for February and March 2023 There were 551 inspections in February and 994 in March and most were for single family attached and detached homes. Mr. Ratos said they are trying to keep the outsourcing to a minimum.
3. EDC 2023-20 Property Maintenance Reports for February and March 2023 There were many cases and only a few moved to the hearing stage. Mr. Ratos said the storage business on N. Rt. 47 went to hearing and was fined $3,500. The property owner was given a chance to move the buildings in violation which are thought to be empty but, they were not moved within the 60 days given. Mr. Ratos said the city is in constant communication and the owner is trying to sell the units. There will be discussion at the next City Council meeting.
4. EDC 2023-21 Economic Development Reports for March and April 2023 Ms. Dubajic Kellogg reported the monthly progress and said a bakery will be opening near the town square at Rt. 47 and Center St. The owner is a native Yorkville resident and is professionally trained as a bake chef. A new Cajun restaurant has opened near Panera and the bank on the location of the new Scooters Coffee, has been demolished so construction can begin for the coffee business.
5. EDC 2023-22 Bristol Ridge Solar 105 – Amendment, Rezone, Special Use and Variance
Mr. Engberg said Turning Point Energy is seeking to build a solar farm on 26 acres of a 54-acre site off Cannonball Trail north of the railroad tracks. It would require a special use, rezone from R-2 and R-2D and a variance for the overall height of the solar panels.
The required height in the city code is 10 feet off the ground and they are seeking to place the panels 2 feet off the ground. The property was originally part of the Bristol Ridge subdivision from 2006 which never materialized and the owner wishes to remove the land plan to build the solar farm. It would be completely fenced and be landscaped.
This will move to PZC for Public Hearing for a rezone and special use approval, then to a May City Council meeting for the annexation amendment Public Hearing, followed by a final presentation at a June Council meeting. Developer of the project Scott Osborn presented details of the proposal. Turning Point Energy reps also met with nearby residents and businesses for input. The developers have a pending meter connection agreement with ComEd to be signed within 45-60 days.
Prior to any discussion, the committee asked to hear information about the next item #6 since #5 and #6 are related.
6. EDC 2023-23 Bristol Ridge Solar 106 – Amendment, Rezone, Special Use and Variance
Mr. Engberg presented the information which is similar to #5. It is a 42 acre parcel and 28 acres will be used for a solar farm. This property is also part of the Bristol Ridge subdivision. This is the northern parcel and the petitioners are also seeking a rezone, special use and variance for this request. The owner wants the Annexation Agreement to be removed and this petition will go to the same city meetings as item #5.
Mr. Osborn provided the details for this request which are similar to item #5. The committee had questions about fencing, landscaping and runoff. Mr. Engberg said the Plan Council discussed a possible chain link fence. Continuous landscaping was also requested and there is a concern for stormwater runoff. Attorney Barry addressed the stormwater and the seed mix for part of the landscaping. Alderman Funkhouser said there will be runoff until the plants are established. He also asked about the land by the buffer. The owner wants it farmed and there is a long-term lease to another individual. The lease terms for the solar panels are 25 years plus two 5-year extensions.
Decommissioning costs proposed by the city are $357,000 for the southern parcel and $356,000 for the northern parcel with a 3% inflation factor. Mr. Osborn suggested $360,000 per site.
The current Annexation Agreement expires in 2026 and Mr. Koch said it's likely that the property will not be developed with homes by then. He said if this was a “younger” subdivision, he would object to the solar project because there would be revenue generated by the homes. He asked if the city is setting precedent if the project is approved and if future land owners might take similar action to convert subdivisions to solar farms.
Tree placement and ornamental trees vs. taller ones were also discussed and Alderman Koch noted it will take 5-7 years to hide the panels with the trees. The committee also asked how the trees may affect the solar panel operation. Alderman Funkhouser expressed concern for taking a prime piece of farmland out of service for a long time.
Alderman Koch requested a list of other annexed properties that could potentially ask for similar actions. Grande Reserve was mentioned as being similar, however, Ms. Noble said they have an economic development agreement until 2041. They discussed some of the other undeveloped subdivisions.
Alderman Funkhouser asked if there will be road contributions. Cannonball is a county road and Mr. Osborn has already spoken with a county official. He also asked if the herbicide Roundup will be used to control weeds. Mr. Osborn replied that the nearby church was adamant about not having any herbicide sprayed near their well. That information is to be written into a maintenance plan.
This item will move forward to the PZC for Public Hearing for the rezone, special use and variance and then to a May City Council meeting for Annexation Agreement Amendment and to a June City Council for a final decision.
Old Business: None
Additional Business: None
There was no further business and the meeting adjourned at 6:55pm.
https://www.yorkville.il.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5162
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