DeKALB — Dozens gathered Monday at the DeKalb City Council meeting in the DeKalb Public Library to speak out against a proposed solar energy system and data storage center planned along Peace Road.
With five out of seven votes against the project, relief filled the meeting. DeKalb resident David Volkening, a major part of the fight to stop the project, said he can take a breath now.
“My heart rate has definitely decreased, which is great because that’s been up pretty high for the last few days,” says Volkening.
The project would have been along Peace Road in DeKalb between Greenwood Acres Drive and Challenger Drive. However, it raised concerns among residents of the nearby Summit Enclave neighborhood, including issues of noise, land preservation and property values.
A four-megawatt ground mounted solar energy system (solar field) and two 6,000 square foot data storage buildings would be added to the approximately 30 acre space.
Though the plan includes safety measures like a six-foot chain link fence and an 80-foot-wide tree buffer separating it from nearby homes, residents said it would not be enough.
Volkening got his neighbors involved and spoke at the meeting. He said he’s done research on what the impact of the project would be on the area.
“Property values in my neighborhood would decrease, along with the cost of electricity would increase is a concern for me,” said Volkening. “I don’t think that it’s right that the corporation could come in and buy itself the property and then put that influence and that financial burden onto the community.”
Other concerns about the project are the purpose of a data center, why farmland was picked as the site and the amount of energy that would be produced.
DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas says the land is currently used for farming but has sat undeveloped for decades.
“Was it the best project that could have come along? No, but it’s the only project that’s come along in many years for this particular site,” said Nicklas.
Throughout the last few months, questions about the community’s concerns have not been answered clearly, according to Volkening.
“It’s not great to feel like my local government is being run by a corporation and not representative of the voice of the people,” said Volkening.
On Sept. 2, the Planning and Zoning Commission of DeKalb voted unanimously against the solar energy system. With that vote, it is unusual for something like this to move to the City Council, according to Nicklas. He said the council relies on the commission to find the facts, and they heard a lot of opinions instead.
“We at the staff level were charged to find out the facts and I think we have spent a lot of time in recent days doing that and fed them into a very public agenda,” said Nicklas.
He recommended approval of the annexation and development, arguing that the facts supported moving forward.
“I think the council wanted to vote with popular implies. It would have probably been the quietest and least impactful industrial project that could be imagined for that site,” said Nicklas.
First Ward Alderwoman Carolyn Zasada encouraged the renewable energy company — Donato Solar — to try again, but to bring the residents of DeKalb more information when they do.
“Donato and Gail Tech, probably in the future, if you wanted to continue to pursue this, what I would do to ensure that you have a community meeting and ensure that you’re prepared to answer all of these really hard questions that the community has,” said Zasada.
Nicklas said he hopes for something better to be developed for the future, but that it is once again a waiting game.
“Tonight, one point of view prevailed over another point of view. It could be the opposite at a future meeting. I think we dealt with a difficult topic with generally lots of respect and integrity,” said Nicklas.
The next city council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at the DeKalb Public Library.
