Geneva residents criticize 5-story apartment plan
A proposed five-story, 219-unit apartment building on the western edge of downtown Geneva is too big, will exacerbate traffic problems, and in general just doesn't fit in with the neighborhood, speaker after speaker told the plan commission Thursday night.
"I think to dump something like that in a residential neighborhood is ridiculous," said Frank Gibney, who lives on the 100 block of North Richards Street, where the Seventh and State project would be built.
Marquette Cos. presented its Seventh and State proposal to the Geneva Plan Commission, asking for permission to deviate from city rules that govern the height of buildings and how much of a lot can be covered by a building.
They also want to rezone the land, parts of which are zoned for business, industrial and office uses, to a category that would allow a mixture of residential, commercial and business use.
More than 75 people attended the hearing. Many spoke about problems with traffic on Peyton Street and fears the building would only make it worse. They said drivers often use Peyton during rush hours to avoid State Street, including teens driving to Geneva High School. The street also gets truck traffic, even though it is not a truck route, they said.
Others said it doesn't fit the character of downtown Geneva.
"'Mass' and 'charming' just don't go together," said Richards Street resident Diane Wallace.
They also questioned the demand for apartments cited by the developer.
The Seventh and State plan involves 4.56 acres bounded by State, Richards and Peyton streets, and Seventh Street if it is extended. It includes the land where the Cetron factory stood until March, and calls for razing a vacant duplex, a vacant office building and a vacant commercial building. The Cetron building was empty for almost 30 years.
Currently, the block is designated in the city's Downtown/Station Area Master Plan for public or semipublic use. When the plan was written, the Geneva Public Library was buying the land for a new building. The library later bought land elsewhere.
According to its proposal, the apartment building would wrap around a 353-space parking garage. There would also be a 106-space surface lot. Some of the spaces would be reserved for employees of neighbor Burgess-Norton Manufacturing Co., as it would sell one of its buildings and a parking lot to the developer.
The application noted that soil and groundwater on the northern portion are contaminated by solvents Cetron used. The soil would have to be removed, per state law.
Critics questioned whether the apartment building was appropriate for the downtown area, which is known for its quaint old buildings, none taller than four stories.
Some also pointed out, at the meeting or on Facebook pages, that based on the estimated rental prices of $1,250 to $2,300 a month, the apartments would do nothing to satisfy the city's goal of increasing the stock of affordable housing.
The developer estimates the apartments would be affordable - meaning spending no more than 30 percent of gross household income for rent - to households making $75,000 a year or more. The 2014 "Homes for a Changing Region" Tri-Cities area report says Geneva should be aiming to have 15 percent of new units made affordable to households earning 20 to 40 percent less than the metropolitan area's median household income of around $60,000.
Marquette says the apartments would have 9-foot ceilings, granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, plank flooring and in-unit laundries. There would be an outdoor rooftop pool, an outdoor kitchen and gardens, a 24-hour fitness center, an off-leash dog run, a dog wash and a "bicycle kitchen" for enthusiasts to store their bicycles.
"This is basically where the market is driving - for very high-end finishes," said Jeff Prosapio, Marquette's project management director.
Marquette Cos. is based in Naperville. It has projects underway in Naperville and Lisle, and has completed a project in the West Loop in Chicago, among others.
The hearing will continue on Jan. 28.