Geneva pulls second historic district out of plan

The Geneva City Council this week officially took “look into forming a South Historic District” off the city’s to-do list.

It voted 9-0 to remove the matter from the city’s 2017 Strategic Plan, the decision-guiding document that lists all the visions, goals and objectives the city has for itself.

Residents of the area in question opposed the idea at an informational meeting and a committee of the whole meeting in May. The area was bounded by Cheever Avenue, the Fox River, Fargo Boulevard and Meadows Road. Participants in a 2006 strategic plan updating workshop had suggested the district. It would have been Geneva’s second.

Resident Marty Smircich asked the council to go a step further. He was astounded to discover that a historic district could be declared without the consent of the owners of property within it.

“I think the language is unnecessarily divisive,” he said. “ ... The city code needs to change.”

Council members and Mayor Kevin Burns agreed to discuss his request, but not Monday night, as the topic hadn’t been published on the agenda. Alderman Craig Maladra, who said he “has a problem” with the consent non-requirement, said he also wanted more information about why a previous council included that provision.