The McLean County Board on Dec. 9 approved a special-use permit for a commercial solar energy generating facility and an on-site battery energy storage system (BESS) near 2105 West Oakland Avenue in Bloomington, adding stipulations aimed at addressing fire-safety concerns.

Member Leah Klein, who brought the application (SU2510, filed by SVCSG Bloomington LLC / Sunvest), said the project’s proximity to denser residential areas and critical infrastructure prompted board members to seek stronger assurances about fire prevention and response. “Incorporating those standards would ensure that all best projects approved by the county meet the most current and most rigorous safety expectations,” Klein said, and moved two amendments to the permit that the Board adopted.

The first stipulation requires the applicant to obtain approval from the Bloomington Township Fire Protection District for its fire-safety equipment and emergency response plan before applying for a building permit with the McLean County Building and Zoning Department. The second requires the applicant to provide documentation of that approval, and any superseding recommendations from the fire district, to both the Building Director and the chair of the Land Use and Transportation Committee at the time of the construction-permit application.

Klein told the Board the recommendation reflects updated standards in the 2024 International Building Code and International Fire Code and complements existing National Fire Protection Association guidance (including NFPA 855). She said the county’s current zoning provisions require an NFPA-based fire-safety plan but do not yet explicitly reference the 2024 international-code updates.

Chair Elizabeth Johnston called for a vote on the amendments and then on the amended special-use request. Member Alex Duffy seconded the motion to advance the application. The Board approved the amendments and then approved the special use as amended by voice vote; the motion passed unanimously. The record shows the application covers several parcels identified in the record and is sited in the agricultural district in Bloomington Township.

Next steps noted by staff include formal submission of the fire-district approvals and building-permit application materials. The Board’s action was limited to land-use approval and stipulations; any future construction permits, inspections or permits remain subject to departmental review and building-code enforcement.

The Land Use and Transportation Committee minutes and project materials are available in the unapproved minutes packet for further technical details.