Community Assessment
Name
Timeline
Project Type
Size
Location
Landowners
Land Use
County Profile
Will County has nearly 700,000 residents and is one of the five “collar counties” around Chicago that’s been a historic political bellwether. Generally, the county actively supports utility-scale solar. Yet, the more rural project area in the south is made up of working farms and a strong history of activism.
Permitting
This is a multi-step process, starting with the 7-member Planning and Zoning Committee (PZC) who makes a recommendation to the Land Use and Development Committee (LUDC), who makes a recommendation to the full 26-member county board (soon to be 22-members).
Strategy
Our public affairs strategy must ensure that hyper-local NIMBYism doesn’t thwart overall favorable sentiment. Potential opposition around the loss of farmland should be thwarted by making the economic case, building a substantial network of support, and leveraging local and state renewable energy goals.
Priority Stakeholders
County Development Director – Ron Pullman
County Zoning Administrator - Janine Farrell
Peotone Chamber of Commerce Executive Director - Rachel Eglar
Beecher Chamber of Commerce Executive Director - Kelly Weissbohn
Peotone Community Unit School District Superintendent - Steve Stein
Beecher Community Unit School District Superintendent - Jack Gaham
