(55 ILCS 5/5-12001) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-12001)
Sec. 5-12001. Authority to regulate and restrict location and use of
structures.
For the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, morals,
comfort and general welfare, conserving the values of property throughout the
county, lessening or avoiding congestion in the public streets and
highways, and lessening or avoiding the hazards to persons and damage to
property resulting from the accumulation or runoff of storm or flood
waters, the county board or board of county commissioners, as the
case may be, of each county, shall have the power to regulate and restrict
the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry,
residence and other uses which may be specified by such board, to regulate
and restrict the intensity of such uses, to establish building or setback
lines on or along any street, trafficway, drive, parkway or storm or
floodwater runoff channel or basin outside the limits of cities, villages
and incorporated towns which have in effect municipal zoning ordinances; to
divide the entire county outside the limits of such cities, villages and
incorporated towns into districts of such number, shape, area and of such
different classes, according to the use of land and buildings, the
intensity of such use (including height of buildings and structures and
surrounding open space) and other classification as may be deemed best
suited to carry out the purposes of this Division; to prohibit uses, buildings
or structures incompatible with the character of such districts
respectively; and to prevent additions to and alteration or remodeling of
existing buildings or structures in such a way as to avoid the restrictions
and limitations lawfully imposed hereunder: Provided, that permits with
respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, remodeling or
extension of buildings or structures used or to be used for agricultural
purposes shall be issued free of any charge. The corporate authorities
of the county may by ordinance require the construction of fences around
or protective covers over previously constructed artificial basins of water
dug in the ground and
used for swimming or wading, which are located on private residential
property and intended for the use of the owner and guests. In all ordinances or
resolutions passed under the authority of this Division, due allowance
shall be made for existing conditions, the conservation of property values,
the directions of building development to the best advantage of the entire
county, and the uses to which property is devoted at the time of the
enactment of any such ordinance or resolution.
The powers by this Division given shall not be exercised so as to deprive the
owner of any existing property of its use or maintenance for the purpose to
which it is then lawfully devoted, but provisions may be made for (i) the
gradual elimination of the uses of unimproved lands or lot areas when the
existing
rights of the persons in possession are terminated or when the uses
to which they are devoted are discontinued, (ii) the gradual elimination of
uses
to which the buildings and structures are devoted if they are adaptable
to permitted uses, and (iii) the gradual elimination of the buildings and
structures when they are destroyed or damaged in major part; nor
shall they be exercised so as to
impose regulations, eliminate uses, buildings, or structures, or require
permits with respect to land
used for agricultural purposes,
which includes the growing of farm crops, truck garden crops, animal and
poultry
husbandry, apiculture, aquaculture, dairying, floriculture, horticulture,
nurseries, tree
farms, sod farms, pasturage, viticulture, and wholesale greenhouses when such
agricultural purposes constitute the principal activity on the land,
other than parcels of land consisting of
less than 5 acres from which $1,000 or less of agricultural products were
sold in any calendar year in counties with a population between 300,000 and
400,000 or in counties contiguous to a county with a population between 300,000
and 400,000, and other than parcels of land consisting of less than 5 acres in
counties with a population in excess of 400,000,
or with respect to the erection,
maintenance, repair, alteration, remodeling or extension of buildings or
structures used or to be used for agricultural purposes upon such land
except that such buildings or structures for agricultural purposes may be
required to conform to building or set back lines
and counties may establish a minimum lot size for residences on land used for
agricultural purposes; nor shall any such
powers be so exercised as to prohibit the temporary use of land for the
installation, maintenance and operation of facilities used by contractors
in the ordinary course of construction activities, except that such
facilities may be required to be located not less than 1,000 feet from any
building used for residential purposes, and except that the period of such
temporary use shall not exceed the duration of the construction contract;
nor shall any such powers include the right to specify or regulate the type
or location of any poles, towers, wires, cables, conduits, vaults, laterals
or any other similar distributing equipment of a public utility as defined in
the Public Utilities Act, if the public utility
is subject to the Messages Tax Act, the Gas Revenue Tax Act or the Public
Utilities Revenue Act, or if such facilities or equipment are located on
any rights of way and are used for railroad purposes, nor shall any such
powers be exercised with respect to uses, buildings, or structures of a public
utility as defined in the Public Utilities Act, nor shall any such
powers be exercised in any respect as to the facilities, as defined in Section
5-12001.1, of a telecommunications carrier, as also defined therein, except to
the extent and in the manner set forth in Section 5-12001.1. As used in this
Act, "agricultural purposes" do not include the extraction of sand, gravel
or limestone, and such activities may be regulated by county zoning
ordinance even when such activities are related to an agricultural purpose.
Nothing in this Division shall be construed to restrict the powers granted by
statute to cities, villages and incorporated towns as to territory
contiguous to but outside of the limits of such cities, villages and
incorporated towns. Any zoning ordinance enacted by a city, village or
incorporated town shall supersede, with respect to territory within the
corporate limits of the municipality, any county zoning plan otherwise
applicable. The powers granted to counties by this Division shall be treated
as in addition to powers conferred by statute to control or approve maps,
plats or subdivisions. In this Division, "agricultural purposes"
include, without limitation, the growing, developing, processing,
conditioning, or selling of hybrid seed corn, seed beans, seed oats, or
other farm seeds.
Nothing in this Division shall be construed to prohibit the corporate
authorities of a county from adopting an ordinance that exempts pleasure
driveways or park districts, as defined in the Park District Code, with a
population of greater than 100,000, from the exercise of the county's powers
under this Division.
The powers granted by this Division may be used to require the creation and preservation of affordable housing, including the power to provide increased density or other zoning incentives to developers who are creating, establishing, or preserving affordable housing.
(Source: P.A. 94-303, eff. 7-21-05 .)
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(55 ILCS 5/5-12001.1)
Sec. 5-12001.1. Authority to regulate certain specified facilities of a
telecommunications carrier and to regulate, pursuant to subsections (a) through (g), AM broadcast towers and facilities.
(a) Notwithstanding any other Section in this Division, the county board or
board of county commissioners of any county shall have the power to
regulate the location of the facilities, as defined in subsection (c), of a
telecommunications carrier or AM broadcast station established outside the corporate limits of cities,
villages, and incorporated towns that have municipal zoning ordinances in
effect. The power shall only be exercised to the extent and in the manner set
forth in this Section.
(b) The provisions of this Section shall not abridge any rights created by
or authority confirmed in the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, P.L.
104-104.
(c) As used in this Section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "county jurisdiction area" means those portions |
| of a county that lie outside the corporate limits of cities, villages, and incorporated towns that have municipal zoning ordinances in effect;
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(2) "county board" means the county board or board of
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| county commissioners of any county;
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(3) "residential zoning district" means a zoning
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| district that is designated under a county zoning ordinance and is zoned predominantly for residential uses;
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(4) "non-residential zoning district" means the
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| county jurisdiction area of a county, except for those portions within a residential zoning district;
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(5) "residentially zoned lot" means a zoning lot in a
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| residential zoning district;
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(6) "non-residentially zoned lot" means a zoning lot
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| in a non-residential zoning district;
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(7) "telecommunications carrier" means a
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| telecommunications carrier as defined in the Public Utilities Act as of January 1, 1997;
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(8) "facility" means that part of the signal
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| distribution system used or operated by a telecommunications carrier or AM broadcast station under a license from the FCC consisting of a combination of improvements and equipment including (i) one or more antennas, (ii) a supporting structure and the hardware by which antennas are attached; (iii) equipment housing; and (iv) ancillary equipment such as signal transmission cables and miscellaneous hardware;
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(9) "FAA" means the Federal Aviation Administration
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| of the United States Department of Transportation;
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(10) "FCC" means the Federal Communications
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(11) "antenna" means an antenna device by which radio
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| signals are transmitted, received, or both;
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(12) "supporting structure" means a structure,
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| whether an antenna tower or another type of structure, that supports one or more antennas as part of a facility;
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(13) "qualifying structure" means a supporting
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| structure that is (i) an existing structure, if the height of the facility, including the structure, is not more than 15 feet higher than the structure just before the facility is installed, or (ii) a substantially similar, substantially same-location replacement of an existing structure, if the height of the facility, including the replacement structure, is not more than 15 feet higher than the height of the existing structure just before the facility is installed;
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(14) "equipment housing" means a combination of one
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| or more equipment buildings or enclosures housing equipment that operates in conjunction with the antennas of a facility, and the equipment itself;
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(15) "height" of a facility means the total height of
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| the facility's supporting structure and any antennas that will extend above the top of the supporting structure; however, if the supporting structure's foundation extends more than 3 feet above the uppermost ground level along the perimeter of the foundation, then each full foot in excess of 3 feet shall be counted as an additional foot of facility height. The height of a facility's supporting structure is to be measured from the highest point of the supporting structure's foundation;
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(16) "facility lot" means the zoning lot on which a
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| facility is or will be located;
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(17) "principal residential building" has its common
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| meaning but shall not include any building under the same ownership as the land of the facility lot. "Principal residential building" shall not include any structure that is not designed for human habitation;
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(18) "horizontal separation distance" means the
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| distance measured from the center of the base of the facility's supporting structure to the point where the ground meets a vertical wall of a principal residential building;
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(19) "lot line set back distance" means the distance
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| measured from the center of the base of the facility's supporting structure to the nearest point on the common lot line between the facility lot and the nearest residentially zoned lot. If there is no common lot line, the measurement shall be made to the nearest point on the lot line of the nearest residentially zoned lot without deducting the width of any intervening right of way; and
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(20) "AM broadcast station" means a facility and one
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| or more towers for the purpose of transmitting communication in the 540 kHz to 1700 kHz band for public reception authorized by the FCC.
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(d) In choosing a location for a facility, a
telecommunications carrier or AM broadcast station shall consider the following:
(1) A non-residentially zoned lot is the most
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(2) A residentially zoned lot that is not used for
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| residential purposes is the second most desirable location.
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(3) A residentially zoned lot that is 2 acres or more
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| in size and is used for residential purposes is the third most desirable location.
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(4) A residentially zoned lot that is less than 2
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| acres in size and is used for residential purposes is the least desirable location.
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The size of a lot shall be the lot's gross area in square feet without
deduction of any unbuildable or unusable land, any roadway, or any other
easement.
(e) In designing a facility, a telecommunications carrier or AM broadcast station shall consider the
following guidelines:
(1) No building or tower that is part of a facility
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| should encroach onto any recorded easement prohibiting the encroachment unless the grantees of the easement have given their approval.
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(2) Lighting should be installed for security and
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| safety purposes only. Except with respect to lighting required by the FCC or FAA, all lighting should be shielded so that no glare extends substantially beyond the boundaries of a facility.
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(3) No facility should encroach onto an existing
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(4) Any facility located in a special flood hazard
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| area or wetland should meet the legal requirements for those lands.
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(5) Existing trees more than 3 inches in diameter
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| should be preserved if reasonably feasible during construction. If any tree more than 3 inches in diameter is removed during construction a tree 3 inches or more in diameter of the same or a similar species shall be planted as a replacement if reasonably feasible. Tree diameter shall be measured at a point 3 feet above ground level.
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(6) If any elevation of a facility faces an existing,
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| adjoining residential use within a residential zoning district, low maintenance landscaping should be provided on or near the facility lot to provide at least partial screening of the facility. The quantity and type of that landscaping should be in accordance with any county landscaping regulations of general applicability, except that paragraph (5) of this subsection (e) shall control over any tree-related regulations imposing a greater burden.
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(7) Fencing should be installed around a facility.
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| The height and materials of the fencing should be in accordance with any county fence regulations of general applicability.
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(8) Any building that is part of a facility located
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| adjacent to a residentially zoned lot should be designed with exterior materials and colors that are reasonably compatible with the residential character of the area.
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(f) The following provisions shall apply to all facilities established in
any county jurisdiction area (i) after the effective date of the amendatory Act of
1997 with respect to telecommunications carriers and (ii) after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly with respect to AM broadcast stations:
(1) Except as provided in this Section, no yard or
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| set back regulations shall apply to or be required for a facility.
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(2) A facility may be located on the same zoning lot
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| as one or more other structures or uses without violating any ordinance or regulation that prohibits or limits multiple structures, buildings, or uses on a zoning lot.
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(3) No minimum lot area, width, or depth shall be
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| required for a facility, and unless the facility is to be manned on a regular, daily basis, no off-street parking spaces shall be required for a facility. If the facility is to be manned on a regular, daily basis, one off-street parking space shall be provided for each employee regularly at the facility. No loading facilities are required.
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(4) No portion of a facility's supporting structure
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| or equipment housing shall be less than 15 feet from the front lot line of the facility lot or less than 10 feet from any other lot line.
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(5) No bulk regulations or lot coverage, building
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| coverage, or floor area ratio limitations shall be applied to a facility or to any existing use or structure coincident with the establishment of a facility. Except as provided in this Section, no height limits or restrictions shall apply to a facility.
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(6) A county's review of a building permit
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| application for a facility shall be completed within 30 days. If a decision of the county board is required to permit the establishment of a facility, the county's review of the application shall be simultaneous with the process leading to the county board's decision.
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(7) The improvements and equipment comprising the
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| facility may be wholly or partly freestanding or wholly or partly attached to, enclosed in, or installed in or on a structure or structures.
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(8) Any public hearing authorized under this Section
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| shall be conducted in a manner determined by the county board. Notice of any such public hearing shall be published at least 15 days before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county. Notice of any such public hearing shall also be sent by certified mail at least 15 days prior to the hearing to the owners of record of all residential property that is adjacent to the lot upon which the facility is proposed to be sited.
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(9) Any decision regarding a facility by the county
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| board or a county agency or official shall be supported by written findings of fact. The circuit court shall have jurisdiction to review the reasonableness of any adverse decision and the plaintiff shall bear the burden of proof, but there shall be no presumption of the validity of the decision.
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(10) Thirty days prior to the issuance of a building
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| permit for a facility necessitating the erection of a new tower, the permit applicant shall provide written notice of its intent to construct the facility to the State Representative and the State Senator of the district in which the subject facility is to be constructed and all county board members for the county board district in the county in which the subject facility is to be constructed. This notice shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: (i) the name, address, and telephone number of the company responsible for the construction of the facility; (ii) the name, address, and telephone number of the governmental entity authorized to issue the building permit; and (iii) the location of the proposed facility. The applicant shall demonstrate compliance with the notice requirements set forth in this item (10) by submitting certified mail receipts or equivalent mail service receipts at the same time that the applicant submits the permit application.
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(g) The following provisions shall apply to all facilities established (i) after
the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 with respect to telecommunications carriers and (ii) after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly with respect to AM broadcast stations in the county jurisdiction
area of any county with a population of less than 180,000:
(1) A facility is permitted if its supporting
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| structure is a qualifying structure or if both of the following conditions are met:
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(A) the height of the facility shall not exceed
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| 200 feet, except that if a facility is located more than one and one-half miles from the corporate limits of any municipality with a population of 25,000 or more the height of the facility shall not exceed 350 feet; and
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(B) the horizontal separation distance to the
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| nearest principal residential building shall not be less than the height of the supporting structure; except that if the supporting structure exceeds 99 feet in height, the horizontal separation distance to the nearest principal residential building shall be at least 100 feet or 80% of the height of the supporting structure, whichever is greater. Compliance with this paragraph shall only be evaluated as of the time that a building permit application for the facility is submitted. If the supporting structure is not an antenna tower this paragraph is satisfied.
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(2) Unless a facility is permitted under paragraph
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| (1) of this subsection (g), a facility can be established only after the county board gives its approval following consideration of the provisions of paragraph (3) of this subsection (g). The county board may give its approval after one public hearing on the proposal, but only by the favorable vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting held no later than 75 days after submission of a complete application by the telecommunications carrier. If the county board fails to act on the application within 75 days after its submission, the application shall be deemed to have been approved. No more than one public hearing shall be required.
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(3) For purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection
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| (g), the following siting considerations, but no other matter, shall be considered by the county board or any other body conducting the public hearing:
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(A) the criteria in subsection (d) of this
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(B) whether a substantial adverse effect on
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| public safety will result from some aspect of the facility's design or proposed construction, but only if that aspect of design or construction is modifiable by the applicant;
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(C) the benefits to be derived by the users of
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| the services to be provided or enhanced by the facility and whether public safety and emergency response capabilities would benefit by the establishment of the facility;
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(D) the existing uses on adjacent and nearby
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(E) the extent to which the design of the
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| proposed facility reflects compliance with subsection (e) of this Section.
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(4) On judicial review of an adverse decision, the
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| issue shall be the reasonableness of the county board's decision in light of the evidence presented on the siting considerations and the well-reasoned recommendations of any other body that conducts the public hearing.
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(h) The following provisions shall apply to all facilities established
after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 in the county
jurisdiction area of any county with
a population of 180,000 or more. A facility is
permitted in any zoning district subject to the following:
(1) A facility shall not be located on a lot under
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| paragraph (4) of subsection (d) unless a variation is granted by the county board under paragraph (4) of this subsection (h).
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(2) Unless a height variation is granted by the
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| county board, the height of a facility shall not exceed 75 feet if the facility will be located in a residential zoning district or 200 feet if the facility will be located in a non-residential zoning district. However, the height of a facility may exceed the height limit in this paragraph, and no height variation shall be required, if the supporting structure is a qualifying structure.
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(3) The improvements and equipment of the facility
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| shall be placed to comply with the requirements of this paragraph at the time a building permit application for the facility is submitted. If the supporting structure is an antenna tower other than a qualifying structure then (i) if the facility will be located in a residential zoning district the lot line set back distance to the nearest residentially zoned lot shall be at least 50% of the height of the facility's supporting structure or (ii) if the facility will be located in a non-residential zoning district the horizontal separation distance to the nearest principal residential building shall be at least equal to the height of the facility's supporting structure.
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(4) The county board may grant variations for any of
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| the regulations, conditions, and restrictions of this subsection (h), after one public hearing on the proposed variations held at a zoning or other appropriate committee meeting with proper notice given as provided in this Section, by a favorable vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting held no later than 75 days after submission of an application by the telecommunications carrier. If the county board fails to act on the application within 75 days after submission, the application shall be deemed to have been approved. In its consideration of an application for variations, the county board, and any other body conducting the public hearing, shall consider the following, and no other matters:
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(A) whether, but for the granting of a variation,
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| the service that the telecommunications carrier seeks to enhance or provide with the proposed facility will be less available, impaired, or diminished in quality, quantity, or scope of coverage;
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(B) whether the conditions upon which the
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| application for variations is based are unique in some respect or, if not, whether the strict application of the regulations would result in a hardship on the telecommunications carrier;
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(C) whether a substantial adverse effect on
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| public safety will result from some aspect of the facility's design or proposed construction, but only if that aspect of design or construction is modifiable by the applicant;
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(D) whether there are benefits to be derived by
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| the users of the services to be provided or enhanced by the facility and whether public safety and emergency response capabilities would benefit by the establishment of the facility; and
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(E) the extent to which the design of the
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| proposed facility reflects compliance with subsection (e) of this Section.
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No more than one public hearing shall be required.
(5) On judicial review of an adverse decision, the
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| issue shall be the reasonableness of the county board's decision in light of the evidence presented and the well-reasoned recommendations of any other body that conducted the public hearing.
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(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, 30 days prior to the issuance of any permits for a new telecommunications facility within a county, the telecommunications carrier constructing the facility shall provide written notice of its intent to construct the facility. The notice shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: (i) the name, address, and telephone number of the company responsible for the construction of the facility, (ii) the address and telephone number of the governmental entity that is to issue the building permit for the telecommunications facility, (iii) a site plan and site map of sufficient
specificity to indicate both the location of the parcel where
the telecommunications facility is to be constructed and the
location of all the telecommunications facilities within that
parcel, and (iv) the property index number and common address
of the parcel where the telecommunications facility is to be
located. The notice shall not contain any material that appears to be an advertisement for the telecommunications carrier or any services provided by the telecommunications carrier. The
notice shall be provided in person, by overnight private
courier, or by certified mail to all owners of property within
250 feet of the parcel in which the telecommunications carrier
has a leasehold or ownership interest. For the purposes of this
notice requirement, "owners" means those persons or entities
identified from the authentic tax records of the county in
which the telecommunications facility is to be located. If,
after a bona fide effort by the telecommunications carrier to
determine the owner and his or her address, the owner of the
property on whom the notice must be served cannot be found at
the owner's last known address, or if the mailed notice is
returned because the owner cannot be found at the last known
address, the notice requirement of this paragraph is deemed
satisfied.
(Source: P.A. 96-696, eff. 1-1-10; 97-242, eff. 8-4-11; 97-496, eff. 8-22-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)
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(55 ILCS 5/5-12020) Sec. 5-12020. Commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities. (a) As used in this Section: "Commercial solar energy facility" means a "commercial solar energy system" as defined in Section 10-720 of the Property Tax Code. "Commercial solar energy facility" does not mean a utility-scale solar energy facility being constructed at a site that was eligible to participate in a procurement event conducted by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to subsection (c-5) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act. "Commercial wind energy facility" means a wind energy conversion facility of equal or greater than 500 kilowatts in total nameplate generating capacity. "Commercial wind energy facility" includes a wind energy conversion facility seeking an extension of a permit to construct granted by a county or municipality before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123). "Facility owner" means (i) a person with a direct ownership interest in a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility, or both, regardless of whether the person is involved in acquiring the necessary rights, permits, and approvals or otherwise planning for the construction and operation of the facility, and (ii) at the time the facility is being developed, a person who is acting as a developer of the facility by acquiring the necessary rights, permits, and approvals or by planning for the construction and operation of the facility, regardless of whether the person will own or operate the facility. "Nonparticipating property" means real property that is not a participating property. "Nonparticipating residence" means a residence that is located on nonparticipating property and that is existing and occupied on the date that an application for a permit to develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility is filed with the county. "Occupied community building" means any one or more of the following buildings that is existing and occupied on the date that the application for a permit to develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility is filed with the county: a school, place of worship, day care facility, public library, or community center. "Participating property" means real property that is the subject of a written agreement between a facility owner and the owner of the real property that provides the facility owner an easement, option, lease, or license to use the real property for the purpose of constructing a commercial wind energy facility, a commercial solar energy facility, or supporting facilities. "Participating property" also includes real property that is owned by a facility owner for the purpose of constructing a commercial wind energy facility, a commercial solar energy facility, or supporting facilities. "Participating residence" means a residence that is located on participating property and that is existing and occupied on the date that an application for a permit to develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility is filed with the county. "Protected lands" means real property that is: (1) subject to a permanent conservation right |
| consistent with the Real Property Conservation Rights Act; or
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(2) registered or designated as a nature preserve,
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| buffer, or land and water reserve under the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act.
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"Supporting facilities" means the transmission lines, substations, access roads, meteorological towers, storage containers, and equipment associated with the generation and storage of electricity by the commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility.
"Wind tower" includes the wind turbine tower, nacelle, and blades.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or whether the county has formed a zoning commission and adopted formal zoning under Section 5-12007, a county may establish standards for commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy facilities, or both. The standards may include all of the requirements specified in this Section but may not include requirements for commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities that are more restrictive than specified in this Section. A county may also regulate the siting of commercial wind energy facilities with standards that are not more restrictive than the requirements specified in this Section in unincorporated areas of the county that are outside the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality and that are outside the 1.5-mile radius surrounding the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality.
(c) If a county has elected to establish standards under subsection (b), before the county grants siting approval or a special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility, or modification of an approved siting or special use permit, the county board of the county in which the facility is to be sited or the zoning board of appeals for the county shall hold at least one public hearing. The public hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act and shall be held not more than 60 days after the filing of the application for the facility. The county shall allow interested parties to a special use permit an opportunity to present evidence and to cross-examine witnesses at the hearing, but the county may impose reasonable restrictions on the public hearing, including reasonable time limitations on the presentation of evidence and the cross-examination of witnesses. The county shall also allow public comment at the public hearing in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. The county shall make its siting and permitting decisions not more than 30 days after the conclusion of the public hearing. Notice of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A facility owner must enter into an agricultural impact mitigation agreement with the Department of Agriculture prior to the date of the required public hearing. A commercial wind energy facility owner seeking an extension of a permit granted by a county prior to July 24, 2015 (the effective date of Public Act 99-132) must enter into an agricultural impact mitigation agreement with the Department of Agriculture prior to a decision by the county to grant the permit extension. Counties may allow test wind towers or test solar energy systems to be sited without formal approval by the county board.
(d) A county with an existing zoning ordinance in conflict with this Section shall amend that zoning ordinance to be in compliance with this Section within 120 days after January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123).
(e) A county may require:
(1) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
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| to be sited as follows, with setback distances measured from the center of the base of the wind tower:
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Setback Description Setback Distance
Occupied Community 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
Buildings height of the wind tower to the
nearest point on the outside
wall of the structure
Participating Residences 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
height of the wind tower to the
nearest point on the outside
wall of the structure
Nonparticipating Residences 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
height of the wind tower to the
nearest point on the outside
wall of the structure
Boundary Lines of None
Participating Property
Boundary Lines of 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
Nonparticipating Property height of the wind tower to the
nearest point on the property
line of the nonparticipating
property
Public Road Rights-of-Way 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
height of the wind tower
to the center point of the
public road right-of-way
Overhead Communication and 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
Electric Transmission height of the wind tower to the
and Distribution Facilities nearest edge of the property
(Not Including Overhead line, easement, or
Utility Service Lines to right-of-way
Individual Houses or containing the overhead line
Outbuildings)
Overhead Utility Service None
Lines to Individual
Houses or Outbuildings
Fish and Wildlife Areas 2.1 times the maximum blade
and Illinois Nature tip height of the wind tower
Preserve Commission to the nearest point on the
Protected Lands property line of the fish and
wildlife area or protected
land
This Section does not exempt or excuse compliance with
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| electric facility clearances approved or required by the National Electrical Code, The National Electrical Safety Code, Illinois Commerce Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and their designees or successors.
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(2) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
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| to be sited so that industry standard computer modeling indicates that any occupied community building or nonparticipating residence will not experience more than 30 hours per year of shadow flicker under planned operating conditions;
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(3) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited as
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| follows, with setback distances measured from the nearest edge of any component of the facility:
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Setback Description Setback Distance
Occupied Community 150 feet from the nearest
Buildings and Dwellings on point on the outside wall
Nonparticipating Properties of the structure
Boundary Lines of None
Participating Property
Public Road Rights-of-Way 50 feet from the nearest
edge
Boundary Lines of 50 feet to the nearest
Nonparticipating Property point on the property
line of the nonparticipating
property
(4) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
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| that the facility's perimeter is enclosed by fencing having a height of at least 6 feet and no more than 25 feet; and
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(5) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
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| that no component of a solar panel has a height of more than 20 feet above ground when the solar energy facility's arrays are at full tilt.
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The requirements set forth in this subsection (e) may be waived subject to the written consent of the owner of each affected nonparticipating property.
(f) A county may not set a sound limitation for wind towers in commercial wind energy facilities or any components in commercial solar energy facilities that is more restrictive than the sound limitations established by the Illinois Pollution Control Board under 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 900, 901, and 910.
(g) A county may not place any restriction on the installation or use of a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility unless it adopts an ordinance that complies with this Section. A county may not establish siting standards for supporting facilities that preclude development of commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities.
A request for siting approval or a special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility, or modification of an approved siting or special use permit, shall be approved if the request is in compliance with the standards and conditions imposed in this Act, the zoning ordinance adopted consistent with this Code, and the conditions imposed under State and federal statutes and regulations.
(h) A county may not adopt zoning regulations that disallow, permanently or temporarily, commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities from being developed or operated in any district zoned to allow agricultural or industrial uses.
(i) A county may not require permit application fees for a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility that are unreasonable. All application fees imposed by the county shall be consistent with fees for projects in the county with similar capital value and cost.
(j) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a county shall not require standards for construction, decommissioning, or deconstruction of a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility or related financial assurances that are more restrictive than those included in the Department of Agriculture's standard wind farm agricultural impact mitigation agreement, template 81818, or standard solar agricultural impact mitigation agreement, version 8.19.19, as applicable and in effect on December 31, 2022. The amount of any decommissioning payment shall be in accordance with the financial assurance required by those agricultural impact mitigation agreements.
(j-5) A commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility shall file a farmland drainage plan with the county and impacted drainage districts outlining how surface and subsurface drainage of farmland will be restored during and following construction or deconstruction of the facility. The plan is to be created independently by the facility developer and shall include the location of any potentially impacted drainage district facilities to the extent this information is publicly available from the county or the drainage district, plans to repair any subsurface drainage affected during construction or deconstruction using procedures outlined in the agricultural impact mitigation agreement entered into by the commercial wind energy facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner, and procedures for the repair and restoration of surface drainage affected during construction or deconstruction. All surface and subsurface damage shall be repaired as soon as reasonably practicable.
(k) A county may not condition approval of a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility on a property value guarantee and may not require a facility owner to pay into a neighboring property devaluation escrow account.
(l) A county may require certain vegetative screening surrounding a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility but may not require earthen berms or similar structures.
(m) A county may set blade tip height limitations for wind towers in commercial wind energy facilities but may not set a blade tip height limitation that is more restrictive than the height allowed under a Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation by the Federal Aviation Administration under 14 CFR Part 77.
(n) A county may require that a commercial wind energy facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner provide:
(1) the results and recommendations from consultation
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| with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that are obtained through the Ecological Compliance Assessment Tool (EcoCAT) or a comparable successor tool; and
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(2) the results of the United States Fish and
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| Wildlife Service's Information for Planning and Consulting environmental review or a comparable successor tool that is consistent with (i) the "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines" and (ii) any applicable United States Fish and Wildlife Service solar wildlife guidelines that have been subject to public review.
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(o) A county may require a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility to adhere to the recommendations provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in an EcoCAT natural resource review report under 17 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1075.
(p) A county may require a facility owner to:
(1) demonstrate avoidance of protected lands as
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| identified by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission; or
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(2) consider the recommendations of the Illinois
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| Department of Natural Resources for setbacks from protected lands, including areas identified by the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission.
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(q) A county may require that a facility owner provide evidence of consultation with the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office to assess potential impacts on State-registered historic sites under the Illinois State Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act.
(r) To maximize community benefits, including, but not limited to, reduced stormwater runoff, flooding, and erosion at the ground mounted solar energy system, improved soil health, and increased foraging habitat for game birds, songbirds, and pollinators, a county may (1) require a commercial solar energy facility owner to plant, establish, and maintain for the life of the facility vegetative ground cover, consistent with the goals of the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act and (2) require the submittal of a vegetation management plan that is in compliance with the agricultural impact mitigation agreement in the application to construct and operate a commercial solar energy facility in the county if the vegetative ground cover and vegetation management plan comply with the requirements of the underlying agreement with the landowner or landowners where the facility will be constructed.
No later than 90 days after January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources shall develop guidelines for vegetation management plans that may be required under this subsection for commercial solar energy facilities. The guidelines must include guidance for short-term and long-term property management practices that provide and maintain native and non-invasive naturalized perennial vegetation to protect the health and well-being of pollinators.
(s) If a facility owner enters into a road use agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation, a road district, or other unit of local government relating to a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility, the road use agreement shall require the facility owner to be responsible for (i) the reasonable cost of improving roads used by the facility owner to construct the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility and (ii) the reasonable cost of repairing roads used by the facility owner during construction of the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility so that those roads are in a condition that is safe for the driving public after the completion of the facility's construction. Roadways improved in preparation for and during the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility shall be repaired and restored to the improved condition at the reasonable cost of the developer if the roadways have degraded or were damaged as a result of construction-related activities.
The road use agreement shall not require the facility owner to pay costs, fees, or charges for road work that is not specifically and uniquely attributable to the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility. Road-related fees, permit fees, or other charges imposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation, a road district, or other unit of local government under a road use agreement with the facility owner shall be reasonably related to the cost of administration of the road use agreement.
(s-5) The facility owner shall also compensate landowners for crop losses or other agricultural damages resulting from damage to the drainage system caused by the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility. The commercial wind energy facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner shall repair or pay for the repair of all damage to the subsurface drainage system caused by the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility in accordance with the agriculture impact mitigation agreement requirements for repair of drainage. The commercial wind energy facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner shall repair or pay for the repair and restoration of surface drainage caused by the construction or deconstruction of the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility as soon as reasonably practicable.
(t) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a facility owner with siting approval from a county to construct a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility is authorized to cross or impact a drainage system, including, but not limited to, drainage tiles, open drainage ditches, culverts, and water gathering vaults, owned or under the control of a drainage district under the Illinois Drainage Code without obtaining prior agreement or approval from the drainage district in accordance with the farmland drainage plan required by subsection (j-5).
(u) The amendments to this Section adopted in Public Act 102-1123 do not apply to: (1) an application for siting approval or for a special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility if the application was submitted to a unit of local government before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123); (2) a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility if the facility owner has submitted an agricultural impact mitigation agreement to the Department of Agriculture before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123); or (3) a commercial wind energy or commercial solar energy development on property that is located within an enterprise zone certified under the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act, that was classified as industrial by the appropriate zoning authority on or before January 27, 2023, and that is located within 4 miles of the intersection of Interstate 88 and Interstate 39.
(Source: P.A. 102-1123, eff. 1-27-23; 103-81, eff. 6-9-23; 103-580, eff. 12-8-23.)
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