Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025

Article Summary: A 63-acre commercial solar energy facility on Spencer Road in New Lenox Township received a key endorsement Thursday, as the Will County Land Use and Development Committee unanimously approved a special use permit after adding conditions recommended by the Village of New Lenox.

Spencer Road Solar Project Key Points:

• The committee voted 6-0 to approve a special use permit for two commercial solar facilities on approximately 63 acres of a 110-acre property on South Spencer Road.

• Two conditions recommended by the Village of New Lenox were added: requiring a concrete or asphalt apron for the access drive and mandating a “Fixed Knot Farm fence.”

• The applicant, Nexamp Solar, noted the site has numerous development constraints, including three pipelines, a stream, and a floodplain, making it well-suited for solar.

• The Village of New Lenox board had previously voted not to object to the project, contingent on the county considering its recommended conditions.

NEW LENOX, IL — The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday, November 6, 2025, unanimously approved a special use permit for a 63-acre commercial solar energy facility in New Lenox Township, after amending the proposal to include conditions requested by the Village of New Lenox.

The applicant, Nexamp Solar LLC, plans to construct two adjacent solar arrays totaling over 12,000 panels on a 110-acre property on South Spencer Road, east of the road and north of the Canadian National Railroad tracks. The project required a special use permit in the A-1 Agricultural zoning district, along with variances for ground cover height and mowing frequency, which the Planning and Zoning Commission had previously recommended for approval.

Jack Curry, director of business development for Nexamp, told the committee the property was well-suited for solar energy due to numerous constraints that would hinder other types of development. He cited three separate pipelines, a stream and associated flood zone bisecting the property, and adjacent railroad tracks and transmission lines.

“There’s not really a lot of room or interest for that matter in commercial, industrial, or residential development,” Curry stated.

The project had been reviewed by the New Lenox Village Board, which on August 25, 2025, voted not to object but provided a list of five recommended conditions. Committee member Judy Ogalla moved to add two of those conditions to the county’s approval: requiring the access drive apron off Spencer Road to be concrete or asphalt, and mandating a Fixed Knot Farm-style fence. The committee approved adding the conditions before its final vote. A third village recommendation for landscape screening was opposed by the applicant, who argued the project’s 600-foot distance from the nearest residence and existing farmland made it unnecessary.

Nick Standiford, an attorney for the applicant, highlighted that the project aligns with New Lenox’s comprehensive plan to conserve land in that area. “This wouldn’t strike you as a conservation use, a solar farm, but it really is,” Standiford said. “At the end of the project, it’s decommissioned, so it essentially landbanks the project for up to 40 years.”

Three objectors were present at a prior Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, raising concerns about trees, wildlife, and water runoff. In response, Curry noted the project would not impact the forested area on the northern part of the property and that he had met with the Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District to address drainage.

The committee ultimately voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the special use permit with the added conditions.