Plainfield Committee of the Whole Workshop - May 11, 2026

On May 11, 2026, the Plainfield Village Board held a Committee of the Whole Workshop at 24401 W. Lockport Street, Plainfield, IL, beginning at 7:00 PM. The workshop covered a local landmark recognition ceremony, a DHL Supply Chain concept plan review, an informational presentation on a proposed Will County solar farm, and public comments. A trustee also thanked village staff during Public Service Recognition Week. No binding votes were taken other than approval of prior minutes and adjournment.

Consent Calendar

• The board unanimously approved the minutes of the April 27, 2026 Special Meeting and Committee of the Whole Workshop.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Micah Freeman, Will County Board member for District 8, said he had contacted the Will County Health Department about Kratom and that a doctor would reach out. He explained that Will County has a vote on unincorporated special use permits, but state law limits county control over solar projects; he said a recent court order required the county to approve six previously denied solar cases or face contempt.
• Michael Collins, a Plainfield resident, raised concerns about poorly painted street lights and graffiti on the Route 59 train trestle. He also alleged that a developer's donation intended for the Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary was redirected to the mayor's charity, and noted the Lions Club gave about $70,000 at Christmas. Staff said the village is aware of the light pole condition and is planning base and pole recoating. Staff said the trestle is not village-maintained and that the village has asked Canadian National and IDOT to address graffiti. The mayor said Collins's characterization of the donation conversation was inaccurate.

Historic Preservation Month Presentations

• Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Bortle presented plaques for four new local landmarks in recognition of National Preservation Month: the Ording House (Heath Wright and Michelle Kelly), the Spangler-Bronck House (the Olson family), the Yaggy-Simmons-Kinley-Smith residence (the Smith family), and the Daly/Kane House on Lockport Street (Stephen and Pat Thompson). The presentation included historical profiles, property histories, and memories from former resident Don Kinley. Commission members and the board thanked the property owners for preserving Plainfield's history. A fifth landmark nomination, the McClaskey House, was mentioned as upcoming.

Discussion: DHL Supply Chain (USA) Concept Plan

• Staff and DHL's team, represented by Vince Rosanova of Rosanova & Whitaker, presented concept plan Case 2125-031326.CP for a light industrial warehouse/distribution development at the northeast corner of Ridge Road and 143rd Street. The roughly 138-acre site would contain two buildings totaling about 2 million square feet: a 1.2 million-square-foot building along 143rd Street and a 700,000-square-foot building near the northern property line.
• The property is already in the village, was annexed in 2004, and is designated industrial in the 2024 comprehensive plan; no annexation agreement or rezoning would be required. Future approvals would include site plan review, preliminary/final subdivision, and possibly a planned development special use.
• The proposal includes three access points, 143rd Street access aligned with RJW Logistics, and two Ridge Road access points subject to Kendall County coordination. The applicant proposed an 80-foot north-side setback, exceeding the 60-foot minimum, with fences, berms, evergreen screening, detention and native planting areas, dark-sky-compliant lighting, and preservation of existing trees where possible.
• Trustees responded favorably but raised conditions and concerns: electrical capacity and ComEd timing; sound from rooftop units/chillers and their placement away from the northern residential edge; headlight and reflective-surface impacts; lighting oriented away from neighbors; and safe multimodal connections and wayfinding. No formal vote was taken at the workshop.

Discussion: Chailly Solar - Will County Application

• Kira Gavin of Cultivate Power presented the Chailly Solar project, a proposed 19.1-acre solar farm at the southwest corner of 127th Street and U.S. Route 30, an unincorporated site that would go through Will County for a special use permit. The project would lease about 19 acres from the Mather family on a 77-acre property; the fenced area would be just under 15 acres.
• Gavin said the project would use low-profile, fixed four-foot-tall panels arranged in a dense configuration rather than taller tracking panels. It would be a 5 MW distributed/community-scale project, powering roughly 800-900 homes, with a 50-foot property line setback, a 150-foot residential setback, an opaque seven-foot fence, and a single access point off 127th Street. She described central inverter placement for noise mitigation, no glare impacts, decommissioning bonds, a drain tile survey, stormwater review, property tax benefits, and a proposed community benefit agreement of about $127,000 to the village. She also noted neighbor outreach, including 26 door knocks and 10 conversations, and a timeline pointing to county hearings in mid-2026, construction in spring 2028, and operation by fall 2028.
• Several trustees expressed reluctance to object, with some saying they would not object and others wanting more information. Concerns included drainage and agricultural drain tile impacts, stormwater from panel surfaces, decommissioning and subsidy longevity, and the state law limiting local control. Village staff noted an objection would require a separate board vote and would force a supermajority vote at the county; recent court rulings and pending appeals were discussed. No formal objection was made, and the board agreed to revisit if and when official county notice is received.

Board Exchange on Charitable Giving

• A later exchange, prompted by Michael Collins's earlier comment, addressed the mayor's role in the Plainfield League of Charitable Giving. The mayor said he had declined to direct a donation to his own favorite charity and instead was a catalyst for forming the league as a clearinghouse open to all Plainfield-serving charities. Some trustees questioned whether the mayor's board service created the same conflict. The exchange ended without a vote or formal action.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of April 27, 2026 were approved unanimously.
• Four new local landmarks were recognized and plaques presented.
• DHL received generally supportive workshop feedback and was directed to continue working with staff toward formal applications.
• The board did not formally object to the Chailly Solar application at this time; staff will notify trustees when official notice from Will County arrives.
• Reminders for upcoming meetings included May 13 Coffee with the Mayor, May 14 Historic Preservation Commission, May 18 Village Board, May 19 Plan Commission, and June 8 next Committee of the Whole Workshop.