Establish which rules cover the proposal
Livingston County’s May 14, 2026 Board minutes record approval of the storage amendment, Ordinance 2026-05-34. The March vote began the amendment process. Use the May record when discussing the adopted text.
The May exhibit applies outside municipal zoning jurisdiction. Batteries integrated with commercial solar or wind follow those ordinances. Covered standalone storage needs special-use and building permits on agricultural or industrial land.
Ask the project team to identify the parcel’s reviewing authority and the proposed type of project. Does the offer concern a standalone battery facility, or an addition to solar or wind? Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the current requirements for that actual proposal.
Keep the written response with your offer. The county warns that its online code may lag. An older document or a neighboring project should not be the basis for deciding what is allowed on your property.
Ask separately about the electrical connection. Which utility or grid operator would review it? What work has been completed, and what remains? Nearby lines and a local permit route do not establish available capacity.
Reference: Livingston County: May 14, 2026 Board minutes, storage amendment vote on page 3 · Livingston County: May 14, 2026 packet, storage resolution and exhibit on PDF pages 101–116 · Livingston County: Regional Planning & Zoning, current applications and contacts
Ask what would become participating property
The exhibit’s participating-property definition includes written options, leases, licenses and easements for storage or supporting facilities.
Before signing, have your attorney compare that definition with the agreement’s property description. Would it cover a marked area, one parcel or several parcels? How would the home, fields and land you intend to keep using be treated?
Ask for the full set of rights on one drawing: batteries, fences, access, cables, drainage, temporary work areas and any restrictions outside the fence. Include the land you need to reach, farm, rent out or improve.
Separate permission to investigate from permission to build. What entry and survey work would signing allow? How much notice would you receive, who would repair damage and when would temporary rights end?
Check payment against the entire commitment. Which rights does the option payment buy, when would operating rent begin and what would an extension cost? A payment for a fenced area does not explain restrictions on the land around it.
Reference: Livingston County: May 14, 2026 packet, storage resolution and exhibit on PDF pages 101–116
Read a setback waiver as a land document
The exhibit permits certain setbacks to be waived by affected nonparticipating owners. The waiver runs with the land and must be recorded before a building permit.
If someone asks you to sign one, have your attorney explain the exact land and distance involved. Ask for a drawing showing the equipment, property boundary and affected building. Keep the proposed waiver with that drawing.
Ask how the document would affect a future sale, division of the property or new building. Does it cover this specific layout? What happens if the design changes? Discuss the answer before agreeing to recorded rights.
Do not treat a neighbor’s waiver as permission for your own land. Identify each owner, parcel and signature the project relies on. Ask the designer to show which distances would be met and which would require consent.
If there is compensation, ask what it covers and when it is paid. Compare the payment with the duration and scope of the recorded document. Keep that discussion separate from your decision about leasing land for the facility.
Reference: Livingston County: May 14, 2026 packet, storage resolution and exhibit on PDF pages 101–116
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landDecide what can change after the first drawing
The exhibit allows periodic augmentation to maintain approximate original capacity; that provision excludes added parcels or an expanded approved footprint.
Ask the company to explain expected equipment replacement in plain language. Would containers, access needs or work areas change? How would you receive notice, and could replacement work interrupt your use of retained land?
Have the agreement distinguish maintenance from a larger project. Which changes require another signature, revised drawing or new payment? Ask your adviser to compare those private terms with the public approval requirements.
Keep copies of the original layout and each accepted revision. If a company requests a new entrance or cable route later, you should be able to compare the request with the rights already granted.
Ask what happens if only part of the proposal is built. Would the company continue controlling the unused area, and for how long? Put any release of unused land and associated payment changes in writing.
Reference: Livingston County: May 14, 2026 packet, storage resolution and exhibit on PDF pages 101–116
| Item to compare | Question for the owner |
|---|---|
| Property description | Which land would the option control? |
| Setback waiver | What would remain recorded after a sale? |
| Equipment revision | Does it need my consent or more payment? |
| Unused project area | When would I regain unrestricted use? |
| End-of-term drawing | What would be removed or left in place? |
Keep payments, removal and contacts clear
Ask for the option’s end date, extension terms and payment dates. A county review schedule does not set your private deadline. If the company needs more time, decide what evidence and payment you require before extending.
The exhibit requires removal funding with the county or participating owner as beneficiary. Its insurance provisions protect the county; owner coverage needs separate review.
Have your attorney and insurer review the actual documents. Who can use the removal funds, what work is covered and how would you learn that funding or insurance has changed? Ask who would pay if the project company stopped responding.
Describe the condition you need at the end: usable soil, functioning drainage, clear access and any infrastructure you want retained. Ask how the work would be checked and how damage or unpaid rent would be handled.
Keep a current operating contact and a backup with your agreement. If ownership changes, who sends you notice, pays rent and answers a repair request? Ask how those duties would carry over to a replacement company.
Reference: Livingston County: May 14, 2026 packet, storage resolution and exhibit on PDF pages 101–116
Tell us about your Livingston County land
Start with your name, email and phone, then the property location. Livingston County and Illinois are selected and can be corrected. Acreage and a parcel number are optional.
Tell us whether you received an offer, whether solar or wind is already on the property and whether a deadline is approaching. Mention the fields, buildings or access you need to keep using. You can contact us before you have a project drawing.
An inquiry does not reserve land or authorize entry. Any proposal needs review of the actual property, current rules, connection and agreement terms before a deal.
Questions landowners ask
Does a battery option only affect the future fenced area?
Check the property description and exhibits. An option can request access, cables, investigation rights and restrictions beyond the equipment. Ask for every affected area to be shown.
Should I sign a setback waiver before seeing a drawing?
Have the proposed waiver and the actual layout reviewed together. Ask which land is affected, how long the rights last and what happens if the project changes.
Does replacing batteries allow the company to expand onto more land?
The May exhibit distinguishes periodic augmentation from adding parcels or expanding the approved footprint. Your agreement should separately explain consent and payment for changes.
Do I need a parcel number to inquire?
No. Start with your contact details and property location. Share acreage or a parcel number if you have them.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 2026-10-05. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.