Students play the part of Geneva council
Should Geneva turn another neighborhood into a historic preservation district?
According to the mock Geneva City Council that met late Monday afternoon, no.
Members of Geneva High School's Student Government Club, acting as mayor, aldermen, city staff and residents, decided there were too many unanswered questions for their liking to create a second district, off of South Batavia Avenue. They voted against it, 5-4, with one mock alderman absent.
The area is the southern gateway to the city, and contains homes built in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the Italianate, Tudor, Colonial, Craftsman, Queen Anne and Modern styles.
In a designated historic district, any changes to the exterior of the buildings require city approval, to make sure the changes are in character with the original style and materials used, if possible. For example, if the house has wood-frame windows, the owner would be expected to try to repair and refurbish the original frames or, if needed, replace them with similar-looking wood frames, not vinyl.
Part of the plan presented called for providing financial aid to homeowners in the district to make repairs that may be more expensive when historic-district guidelines must be followed. But the student politicians wondered where the money would come from, who would determine who got the money, and what the criteria would be.
The proposed district would extend from Cheever Avenue on the north to just past Fargo Boulevard on the south, two to three blocks on each side of Batavia Avenue (Route 31).
In real life, some residents of the neighborhood have suggested making a historic district to try to prevent the tearing down of old homes on large lots. Some lots have then been subdivided, with large homes built on them. Several years ago, one of the twin Fargo cottages, built for Geneva Mayor Henry Bond Fargo more than a century ago, was torn down. City council permission is required to demolish a building in a historic district, unlike the rest of town.
Such a district "maintains the craftsmanship and character that can't be replicated today," said Allyson Carrino, a junior, playing the part of the city's historic preservation planner.
Alderman Chris Emma wondered what would happen to a local company known for building large replacement homes. "That's (the neighborhood) like their main spot," he said.
"I believe it's not fair for homeowners to have to pay extra expenses," said Alderman Alyssa Ugaste, a junior, after the meeting.
Mock Mayor Eric Strauss, a senior, said if he had had to break a tie, he would have voted against the request, because he did not know where the funding for aiding homeowners would come from, and didn't think it would be fair to ask other taxpayers to pick up any of the tab.
"I am very much interested in the historic architecture that surrounds Geneva. I think it is very sad the motion did not pass," said Allyson later.
Presently, there is no request before the city to establish such a district, real historic preservation planner Karla Kaulfuss said. Any resident could request it.
The students got to pick the topic for the meeting. Strauss said they look for an "intense issue," like the year the mock council discussed whether Geneva should ban smoking in public places. They shadowed city staffers in the fall, under the guidance of assistant city administrator Mary McKittrick and Alderman Dawn Vogelsberg.
"We hope they take us seriously," the future law student -- and later, U.S. senator -- said.