***THIS PETITION IS SPECIFICALLY FOR RESIDENTS OF MATTESON, IL***

We, the undersigned residents of the Ridgeland Manor subdivision and the surrounding Matteson community, strongly urge the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals to DENY the Special Use Permit for the "South Lincoln Solar" project proposed by OneEnergy Renewables at 5901 Lincoln Hwy.

This industrial-scale energy facility is inappropriately sited directly next to our established residential neighborhood. As a diverse community where 78.4% of residents are Black and have invested their life savings in their homes, we stand to be disproportionately harmed by this project. It poses a researched and documented threat to our property values, environmental quality, and the future of our community.

Our collective, informed voice will be heard at the decisive October 1, 2025, Cook County Zoning Board Meeting. Petition signatures must be submitted by September 25, 2025, and your signature is crucial to our success.

Legal and Zoning Concerns

Zoning Compatibility: The proposed facility requires a Special Use Permit because industrial-scale energy generation is not permitted by right in this area. This demonstrates that such facilities are recognized as incompatible with the existing community character and zoning intent.

Setback Assurance: Current Cook County zoning ordinances require adequate setbacks to protect residential areas. The typical 100-foot setback distance that is proposed for similar projects is insufficient compared to industry best practices of 200-500 feet for facilities of this scale.

Environmental Review Requirements: Under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, projects of this magnitude require comprehensive environmental impact assessments, including cumulative effects on the surrounding community.

Evidence-Based Opposition
1. Proven Negative Impact on Property Values
Our homes are our greatest financial investment. We are not speculating about financial harm; we are citing clear evidence from peer-reviewed research:

• A comprehensive Virginia Tech study analyzing 8.8 million property sales found that homes within three miles of large-scale solar installations see an average property value decrease of 4.8%.
• Research from Louisiana State University found homes within 0.6 miles of a solar farm face depreciation of up to 3.6%, representing potential losses of $4,721 to $11,330 per home in our community.
• The most recent analysis from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023) confirms this negative impact is most severe where rural land is converted to industrial use—exactly what is proposed here.

2. Documented Environmental and Health Risks
While marketed as "clean," industrial solar farms carry documented risks supported by scientific literature:

End of Life and Recycling Materials Concerns:

• Majority of non-biodegradable solar panels are landfilled containing hazardous elements including cadmium telluride, lead, and various solvents used in manufacturing posing health and environmental risk over time (Source: International Renewable Energy Agency)
• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has documented cases of groundwater contamination from damaged solar installations
• Storm Damage Risk: Illinois experiences severe weather including hail storms that can damage panels and release toxic materials

Heat Island Effects:

• Studies from the University of Arizona (2021) documented temperature increases of 3-4°F around large solar installations
• Research shows solar farms can alter local precipitation patterns and wildlife habitat

Ecosystem Disruption: The conversion of agricultural/natural land eliminates carbon-sequestering vegetation and displaces local wildlife, contrary to environmental benefits.

3. Community Development Impact
Growth Constraints: The South Lincoln Solar project will create a permanent industrial barrier, effectively limiting the community's economic growth potential.

Infrastructure Burden: Industrial security fencing, access roads, and transmission infrastructure will fundamentally alter the rural residential character that defines our neighborhood's desirability and property values.

4. Environmental Justice and Corporate Responsibility
OneEnergy Renewables and participating landowners stand to gain substantial financial benefits through lease payments (typically $800-1,200 per acre annually) and energy sales, while our diverse, middle-class community bears all costs: property value losses, environmental risks, and visual pollution—all without compensation. This represents a clear environmental justice concern, as documented by the EPA's guidelines on disproportionate impacts on minority communities.

Our Non-Negotiable Demands
We are reasonable people who have researched successful community agreements nationwide. OneEnergy Renewables has until September 20, 2025, to respond to our demands. If this project is to proceed against our primary preference for denial, it must do so only under a legally binding Community Benefit Agreement enforceable under Illinois contract law, including:

Financial Protections
Community Benefit Fund: Establishment of an annual community benefit fund (amount to be negotiated based on demonstrated property value impacts and community needs) paid to the Ridgeland Manor HOA for property improvements, amenities, and offsetting financial losses throughout the project's operational lifespan.

Property Value Guarantee: A legally binding financial guarantee backed by surety bonds from OneEnergy Renewables to compensate any homeowner for documented property value losses exceeding 2% that are independently verified as attributable to the solar farm's proximity.

Enhanced Mitigation Measures
Expanded Setbacks:

• Minimum 300-foot setback from all residential property lines (consistent with industry best practices in Virginia and North Carolina)
• 200-foot setback from all public roads

Comprehensive Visual Screening:

• Construction of 8-foot high earthen berms topped with dense, triple-row plantings of native evergreen trees guaranteed to reach 20+ feet at maturity
• Plantings must be established and reaching minimum 8-foot height before construction begins
• Replacement guarantee for any vegetation that dies within 10 years

Community Oversight and Accountability
Community Advisory Board: Establishment of a resident-controlled advisory board with binding authority over operational decisions affecting our neighborhood, including maintenance schedules, emergency response protocols, and decommissioning plans.

Financial Security: Posting of sufficient performance and maintenance bonds (minimum $2 million) held by Cook County to ensure permanent maintenance of all mitigation measures and proper facility decommissioning.

Independent Monitoring: Annual third-party environmental monitoring reports made publicly available, including soil and groundwater testing.

Legal Enforcement Mechanisms
This Community Benefit Agreement must be:

• Recorded as a deed restriction on the solar facility property
• Incorporated into the Special Use Permit conditions making violations grounds for permit revocation
• Backed by surety bonds held by Cook County to ensure enforceability
• Subject to binding arbitration for dispute resolution

Immediate Action Required
DEADLINE: All petition signatures must be submitted by September 25, 2025

The message to OneEnergy Renewables and the Cook County Zoning Board must be clear and final. We demand that they either:

1. Abandon the South Lincoln Solar project entirely, OR
2. Accept our compromise demands in a legally binding Community Benefit Agreement executed before the October 1, 2025 hearing

If OneEnergy fails to respond to our reasonable compromise by September 20, 2025, we will advocate for complete project denial.

Our homes, our equity, and our community's future are not negotiable. We have the legal right to protect our neighborhood through the zoning process, and we have the political support to ensure our voices are heard.

Sign this petition to protect Matteson and demand that any development project provides direct, substantial, and guaranteed benefits to the community it impacts.

For more information or to volunteer for our campaign, contact info@kenctures.com