609 Kilburn Avenue

The City Council is recommended to DENY a Special Use Permit for a Planned Unit Development to install a ground-mount solar array in the existing parking lot at 609 Kilburn Avenue. The council is also recommended to DENY variations to allow a chain-link fence within the front yard along Acorn Street and to increase its height from four (4) feet to six (6) feet. The Planning Division found that the proposed solar array location in the front yard parking lot does not meet the intent or standards of the zoning ordinance, is inconsistent with typical site design, and lacks adequate buffering for surrounding residential uses. The applicant, Greenlink Solar Solutions for the Boys and Girls Club of Rockford, argued that the parking lot installation is necessary to achieve a 100% energy offset, making the project financially sustainable and allowing funds to be redirected to youth programs. The Zoning Board of Appeals Committee also recommended denial based on findings that the proposed use would be detrimental to public welfare, injurious to neighboring properties, and impede orderly development.