Committee Grants Lenox Solar Farm Project Six-Month Variance Extension
Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | November 18, 2025
Article Summary:
The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a 180-day extension for variances tied to a commercial solar energy facility in New Lenox Township. The extension provides the developer, Greenpath New Lenox LandCo LLC, with the necessary time to prepare the site for planting pollinator-friendly ground cover in the spring of 2026.
Solar Farm Variance Extension Key Points:
-
Location: Vacant property on South Spencer Road, New Lenox Township.
-
Project: A 4.95-megawatt commercial solar energy facility.
-
Variances Extended: Four variances related to increasing ground cover height to 36 inches and reducing required mowings from five times to one time per year.
-
New Expiration Date: The variances will now expire on August 16, 2026.
JOLIET, IL – A commercial solar energy project planned for New Lenox Township received a procedural green light on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, as the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission granted a six-month extension for its previously approved zoning variances.
The applicant, Greenpath New Lenox LandCo LLC, requested the 180-day extension to prevent the variances from expiring on February 18, 2026. According to a staff memo, favorable planting conditions for the pollinator-friendly ground cover planned for the site are not expected until after that date. The extension was the first of two possible 180-day extensions allowed by the ordinance.
The commission originally approved the variances in February 2025. They allow the developer to increase the maximum height of ground cover plants from 13 inches to 36 inches and reduce the number of required mowings from five times per year to just once. These changes are designed to support the establishment of a native pollinator habitat on the site, a practice encouraged by the Illinois Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act.
The project involves two parcels on South Spencer Road and is planned as a 4.95 MWac commercial solar energy facility. With the unanimous approval of the extension, the variances will now remain valid until August 16, 2026, allowing the developer to proceed with site preparation and planting in the spring.
Latest News Stories
New Lenox Solar Farm Proposal Advances with Conditions, Following Village and Forest Preserve Input
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board for October 16, 2025
Will County Board Approves New 30 MPH Speed Limit for Frankfort Township Road
Will County Committee Grapples with $8.9 Million Budget Gap After Contentious 0% Tax Levy Vote
Frankfort Township Board Objects, but County Commission Recommends Bar with Video Gaming
Senior Shared Housing Facility Recommended for Approval in Crete Township
Crete Township ‘Tiny Home’ Owner Appeals Permit Denial
Will County Finance Committee Forwards 1.75% Compromise Property Tax Levy to Full Board
WATCH: Trump calls Pritzker a ‘fat slob,’ Illinois governor blasts president
Illinois business group warns of ‘backbreaking’ progressive income tax
Illinois tops U.S. in pumpkin production despite recent decline in value
Congress moves to restore federal union powers, critics warn of higher costs
