Residents say they are “vehemently opposed” to the use of sheep for vegetational maintenance at a proposed solar development on Galesburg’s far northwest side.
About 25 residents of the Castlebury residential subdivision on South Lake Storey Road gathered at Monday’s meeting of the Galesburg City Council to either voice concerns or show solidarity against the project.
The Curry Trust Solar Project is proposing a community solar development with an agrivoltaics component at 3146 Dover Lane, located behind the former Shopko retail center and near the Castlebury residential subdivision on South Lake Storey Road. Specifically, 60 sheep would graze in a rotation of 10 paddocks every four days to keep the vegetation below the solar arrays.
While 25 residents of Castlebury sat attentively in the audience Monday, four homeowners in the subdivision made pleas with the City Council to stop the project.
Smell, health, loss of expansion are concerns
Concerns raised by the residents range from the smell and potential diseases and health issues caused by the sheep, to the permanent loss of land they say was originally zoned for residential expansion.
Dr; Mark Wiechert, who has resided on Canterbury Court for 30 years, gave examples of a variety of diseases that could be spread by the sheep, either directly or indirectly. He noted the disease could travel in runoff by heavy rains and contamination of natural waterways through the area.
“Unfortunately, this is a long list of diseases and infecting organisms that we’re possibly going to be dealing with from sheep in the neighborhood,” he said.
Wiechert, in a previous public meeting, said, “My wife and I are only hoping our local representatives will sympathize with our concerns regarding diseases, as well as the smell, the noise, and the effect on our home values and marketability when considering allowing a sheep farm in a residential area such as ours.”
Penny Wiechert said the development, particularly the sheep, would impact not only the neighborhood, but the entire Lake Storey area.
“The smell of sheep, if you don’t know what they smell like, it’s not pleasant,” she said. “So a lot of the things Galesburg is famous for, like the fireworks, the camp ground and the hot air ballons — people are not going to come. If you’ve ever driven between Galesburg and Peoria, you know what that area smells like with the hog confinement. This is going to smell worse than that.
“Are we going to be able to open our windows, or go out and mow our lawns?”
A ‘potential fiasco’
“We need your help. We ask, we strongly recommend, and yes, we demand that you address the issue before us. YOU, are us. Anyone here want 160 sheep in their backyard? I don’t think so.” — Greg Chockley, Winchester Cirle in Galesburg
Greg Chockley, who resides on Winchester Circle, told the Council that the majority of the 69 residences in the Castlebury subdivision are “vehemently opposed” to the project, calling it a “potential fiasco.”
“I will be clear, we are not against the ultiization of solar panels, because many of our neighbors have them on their houses,” Chockley said during an impassioned 3-minute public comment. “An overwhelming majority, though, of the 69 residences are vehemently opposed to an out-of-state solar company’s attempt to throw up solar panels over an expanse of 30 acres within city limits, covering already residentially zoned and subdivided ground that’s a part of an approved city comphrehensive plan for residential development. And let’s throw in 60 sheep as a maintenance crew and include a planned 100 more lambs.”
Chockley continued, “What’s our city and residents get? Nothing, other than the loss of prime development land an additional revenue stream of property taxes that will all be gone, forever.
“We need your help. We ask, we strongly recommend, and yes, we demand that you address the issue before us. YOU, are us. Anyone here want 160 sheep in their backyard? I don’t think so.”
‘Can we work together?’
Glenn Busse, who resides on Canterbury Court, echoed his neighors, adding, “I can’t believe that very many people in the city of Galesburg would appreciate having solar farms and sheep put in their backyards.
“I don’t think we’re here to fight the city; I think we’re here to say, ‘Can we work together?’ There has to be some kind of solution to this issue.”
Chase Bradley of Alpha and the Curry Trust Solar Project were originally seeking a variance of Section 90.016 Livestock, to remove the requirement that livestock should be not less than 100 feet to an adjoining property line.
Development Review Committee members reviewed the variances during their Feb. 5, meeting and recommend denial of the livestock setback.
Developers then withdrew their request for a livestock variance, saying they would work with a 100 foot setback as required by code.
City eyes possible solutions
City Manager Eric Hanson said he and staff recently had a “lengthy discussion” with the concerned citizens of Castlebury subdivision.
While providing an update on the proposed project Monday, Hanson said the city is exploriing all options that could possiblity force the developers to alter their plans.
Hanson said the city has substancial drainage easements that are roughly one fourth of the project size, and that the Council is under no obligation to waive those easements.
“They sit right in the middle of the project, and we’ll use that in discussions with them,” Hanson said. “The Council has asked what we can do, and what they can do is not approve drainage easements, which drastically alters the project.”
Hanson pointed out there are other solar developments within the city limits, albeit without the use of sheep for vegetational maintenance. Among those developments are the District 205 solar development located north of Galesburg Jr./Sr. High School on Dayton Street.
“Legal counsel believes we have sufficient opportunities to re-engage on this project, and express the concerns that have been brought up by the neighborhood, and potentialy alter or drastically alter what has been proposed,” Hanson said. “And do it in a way that wouldn’t put the city in any kind of legal jeopardy.
“The one thing that has to be understood is we have existing, large scale solar projects of this size—not with the sheep—in the community that are absolutely adjacent to residential. This is not the first one.
“The city has to be cognizant because we are not in a place to treat one development different than another.”
Dan Alcorn, Galesburg’s city attorney, added, “One of the issues of good about governance is fundametally fairness. And fairness in this context requires setting the rules before the game, and not moving the goalpost during the game.”
In other business …
The Council unanimously approved 11 agenda items Monday, including:
- Authorization of a downstate public transit operating assistance grant starting July 1.
- The purchase of a new crack sealing machine for $67,228.
- Agreements with Knox College and Veteran assistance programs to provide rides for their respective members.
- An agreement with Prairieland Animal Welfare Center for animal sheltering services, with the current contract expiring on March 31. The new agreement will see no increase in the annual cost of $234,120 for the first two years. The cost for the third year of the agreement will be negotiated in writing by both parties 30 days prior to the conclusion of the second term.
Seventh Ward Alderman Steve Cheesman presided over Monday’s meeting as deputy mayor. Cheesman noted Mayor Peter Schwartzman was unable to attend the meeting due to illness. Sixth Ward Council member Sarah Carrington also did not attend Monday’s meeting.
