Draw the project beside the uses you want to keep
Begin with one drawing that shows the battery area, entrance, cable route, drainage work and construction space. Ask which areas would remain occupied after construction and which would be returned to you. The area under the cabinets may be only part of the land the project needs.
Mark how you use the rest of the property. A field entrance, tenant’s route, turning area or tile outlet can matter more than a few additional feet around the equipment. Have the project team explain how those uses would continue when trucks arrive and after the site starts operating.
If an offer quotes a payment per acre, ask which boundary determines that acreage. Is compensation based on the fenced site, the whole reserved area or a different description? Make sure the price and drawing refer to the same land.
Identify the parcel’s actual zoning authority. The county Planning Department describes its jurisdiction as the unincorporated areas. A mailing address using a city or village name does not establish who reviews the property.
Reference: Kankakee County: Planning Department jurisdiction
Use the adopted storage section for the proposal
The April proceedings include the signed adoption resolution and its attached amendment. The attachment adds a storage siting section and lists energy storage as a regulated permitted use in agricultural and industrial districts. That does not eliminate building review or make every layout acceptable.
The county zoning overview identifies a much older compiled ordinance and amendment history. Ask staff for the current storage requirements and any later changes for the actual design. Do not rely on an old general application checklist to settle a new battery proposal.
Have the developer say whether the proposal is standalone storage or supports a solar or wind facility. That distinction appears in the amendment’s definitions. Ask which provisions apply instead of assuming that all battery equipment follows one route.
Separate the local permit, electrical connection and land agreement on the project schedule. Ask what has actually been filed, what remains under review and which step could change the site boundary. A zoning classification does not establish spare grid capacity or a buyer for your land.
Reference: Kankakee County: April 14, 2026 proceedings, adopted Resolution 2026-04-14-42 and Exhibit A, PDF pages 101–114 · Kankakee County: zoning overview and dated amendment history
Protect drainage across the whole field
The adopted storage section calls for a farmland drainage plan addressing surface and subsurface drainage and restoration during construction and removal. Use that plan to discuss how water moves across the property, including land outside the proposed battery area.
Show known tile runs, outlets, low spots and drainage-district features to the project team. Say when a location is approximate or unknown. Ask how the developer will investigate before digging and who pays if a connection or outlet is damaged.
Consider a tile line that crosses the proposed site but also drains a field you retain. Moving the line might serve the battery pad while making the rest of the field harder to farm. Ask for a design that explains both uses and a way to check the result after construction.
Agree on how to report a problem, who investigates it and how you receive repair records. Ask who handles crop damage, lost access and a repair needed during a wet season. A plan filed with the county should not be your only record of the developer’s promises to you.
Keep photographs and any existing drainage records before work begins. Discuss what happens if a problem becomes visible later, after the original contractor has left or the project has changed operators.
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landAsk who can use the removal bond
The attachment names the county as beneficiary of the storage removal bond, uses a cost estimate after salvage and phases in financial assurance over the operating years. An owner should ask what protection is available at the point when equipment first arrives and when operation begins.
Request the actual estimate, bond and removal plan for the proposal. Ask which equipment and land areas are included, what assumptions were made about salvage and how the documents will stay current. Identify who can claim against the bond and how a failure would be handled.
Do not assume the county’s bond covers unpaid rent, crop damage or every promise in your agreement. List your private obligations separately and ask how each would be supported if the operating company cannot perform.
Discuss restoration as a working-land question. Would a former equipment area be suitable for your intended use? What would happen to roads, foundations, cables and drainage changes? Identify anything you might want to retain and how that choice would be made when removal is due.
Ask how these obligations continue through an operator change. You should know who owes the work, who holds the funding and whom you contact, rather than having to reconstruct the arrangement after a problem.
Keep missed payments separate from project shutdown
The storage section addresses abandonment, including a period of unpaid amounts under a written property agreement, and includes exceptions relating to interruptions. That public process does not answer how you would collect a missed payment or enforce your own agreement.
Ask for clear payment dates, notice procedures and the steps following a default. If rent is late, whom do you notify and how long does the company have to respond? Have your advisers compare those terms with any lender or operator rights that could delay a remedy.
Know the difference between ending an agreement and removing installed equipment. Discuss when possession is returned, who remains responsible for the site during removal and how continuing obligations are funded. Do not assume a missed payment automatically releases recorded rights.
Before equipment exists, understand the reservation period too. Identify option payments, extension costs and the last date the developer can hold the land without another agreement. Ask which event starts full rent and how a delayed connection affects that date.
Plan for operation before giving up access
The adopted attachment distinguishes permit materials from submissions before commercial operation, including emergency planning and an offer of responder training. Use those stages to ask when entrances, gates and access arrangements must be ready.
If responders or maintenance crews would use a route you also need, show that route on the drawing. Ask who maintains it, how access is kept available and who repairs damage. Discuss how a tenant or family member would reach the retained land during an incident or a repair.
Request an operating contact and a process for reporting noise, lights, fence damage or a blocked entrance. Ask how the contact will be updated after a project transfer. You should not have to find the original salesperson to report an operating problem.
Compare the promised operating date with the evidence for permits, connection work and equipment delivery. A target date is useful for planning, but the agreement needs to explain what happens if that date changes.
Tell us where the property is
Start with your name, email and phone number, then identify the property. Kankakee County and Illinois are selected in the form and can be changed. A parcel number and approximate acreage are optional.
Mention drainage concerns, an existing tenant, another energy agreement or an offer you have received if you know about them. You do not need to locate every tile line or commission a site plan before contacting Sunland.
We can review the information supplied and identify the next questions for the property. Sending an inquiry does not reserve land, authorize a permit application or commit you to a lease or sale.
Questions landowners ask
Does agricultural zoning mean my land is approved for batteries?
No. The actual design still needs the applicable review, an electrical connection and a workable land agreement. Confirm the current requirements for the parcel.
Why does drainage outside the battery site matter?
A route or tile line serving the site may also serve land you retain. Have the plan and agreement explain how those working uses are protected and who handles damage.
Does the county removal bond protect all of my payments?
Do not assume so. Check the beneficiary and covered work, then address rent, damage and other private obligations separately.
Can I contact Sunland without a parcel number?
Yes. Begin with contact information and the property location. Approximate acreage and parcel details are optional.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 2026-10-06. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.