'We are aware of the problem': Kane County working to fix EV charging station in Geneva

Because I currently don't have much interest in an electric vehicle doesn't mean I won't be driving one years from now. Still, the current disinterest creates a lack of knowledge about these cars and, more specifically, their charging stations.

I know enough to be able to assume that those who drive electric vehicles need the charging stations to be working when they'd like to plug in. If they don't work, frustration sets in.

And it has some readers who let me know that the charging station at the Kane County Courthouse on Third Street in Geneva has not been working consistently for several months. It's been hit or miss for this particular station (with two charging ports) to operate when drivers would like to charge up while spending some time along Third Street.

Keep in mind that this is a story about one charging station. Imagine if numerous ones at a charging port were being finicky at the same time.

Those who have called ChargePoint to complain about the unreliable station tell me they don't really talk to anyone local when submitting a complaint - and, for the most part, nothing happened to fix the two chargers at this station after those calls.

Wall aware of the problem, Sarra Hinshaw, sustainability manager for Kane County, was hoping the station could be fixed before the holiday shopping season, indicating she felt she could possibly fix it herself rather than continuing to wait on a technician.

But, alas, technology is technology, and this was more than just a software upgrade needing a tweak.

"I thought it was going to be an easy fix, but it didn't turn out that way," Hinshaw said after attempting to get the station up and running last week.

"We are aware of the problem, and we are working on it," she added earlier this week. "We have a piece ordered for the station, so there is not a specific timetable on when it would be working again."

After contacting Hinshaw and discussing this situation, I learned something about charging stations that hadn't dawned on me. It's like a multi-tasking situation where you can charge your car while doing something else.

That's why you see charging stations at grocery stores like the Jewel on Prairie Street in St. Charles or the Woodman's store on Orchard Road in North Aurora.

There are charging stations at the Kane County Government Center and the Kane County Health Department in Aurora, but I think those are best suited for employees.

Other charging stations in the area can be found on apps like PlugShare.

When I might be cruising around in an electric vehicle, we may all have chargers in our garages.

A solution for empty Little Owl?

Calling it a "delicate deal," Geneva's economic development director Cathleen Tymoszenko encouraged city officials to help owners of the proposed Tapville Social-Geneva bar and restaurant fix the empty Little Owl building at 101-5 State St.

Tapville is looking to have that corner in Geneva buzzing for the first time since Little Owl/Flagstone closed in August of 2019.

When alderpersons approved the use of grant and tax rebate money to the tune of $290,000 to keep the Tapville project moving forward, it shined a light at the end of the tunnel on an empty building that had slowly become an eyesore on a prominent corner.

Basically, Tapville owners were looking to move ahead with their plan to pick up the pieces left by the Republic Kitchen Bar group, which had been seeking to build a new restaurant in the historic building. The cost of upgrades to the building and its electricity needs, in addition to COVID setbacks, halted Republic's project.

The last time I wrote about the situation on the Little Owl site, that electricity upgrade was a significant obstacle. Tapville owners came along and revealed they don't need an extensive upgrade, Tymoszenko said, because the establishment is not going to have as large a menu as Republic, nor the need for pizza ovens and larger dishwasher units.

Tapville proposed moving ahead on its own if the project could unfold in phases. For example, do some repairs to the building, get the place open, see how business goes, and then continue to fix the building over time.

As much as city officials have liked what they have heard about a Tapville operation featuring self-pour and self-dining, they wisely chose the path of prioritizing the building by using the available money to help get it fixed.

That way, as some aldermen brought up, if Tapville has to shut down or leave after a short period, the building will be ready for another tenant. By using the money available to fix the building, Tymoszenko noted, it also would amount to a "reward" of sorts for the city in preserving the historic structure.

If Tapville is as attractive to diners as social media reviews for the Naperville operation have indicated, a quick come-and-go in Geneva doesn't seem likely. There should be some longevity on this one.

Either way, Geneva will get that important corner looking much better, and residents will have a new concept in restaurants to point to as their own.

A pizza by any name

It's not often that a restaurant will change its name and marketing strategy just before opening after announcing months earlier - and piquing interest under its original name - it was coming to town.

Sound confusing? Well, this scenario makes a lot of sense for the owners of what would have been ZaZa Pizzeria coming to 317 W. State in Geneva.

Realizing that there is already a ZaZa restaurant name in St. Charles with ZaZa Trattoria in the First Street Plaza, the pizzeria folks put the brakes on and revealed a new name to avoid confusion.

It's a nice gesture in some ways, yet maybe not entirely necessary in other ways. But I can see where ZaZa is less common than, say, calling a restaurant the Taco King when many other places have Taco or King in their names.

The owners are going with Nemec Brothers Pizzeria in a clean break from any potential ZaZa mixups. That sign is already up on the building as they look to open in early December, which could mean any day now. Their restaurant in Chicago, of course, keeps the ZaZa name. If the pizza and service are good, it won't matter what the name is. People will find it.

That's a lot of people

Estimating the size of a crowd is difficult, especially when trying to do it for something like the Geneva Christmas Walk.

The annual launch to the holiday season in downtown Geneva takes place Friday, Dec. 1, and it always draws big crowds. And I do mean big.

Years ago, I quit trying to figure out how many people descended upon this event.

The Geneva Chamber of Commerce operates with an estimate of 5,000 visitors. That's basically what the organization feels is in downtown Geneva when the streets are full and the courthouse lawn, with the Christmas Tree and the Santa House, is also full.

Chamber communications director Laura Rush calls the 5,000 visitors estimate a number she "inherited" through the years from past chamber employees.

"I would guess it is more nowadays," Rush said. "It's more of a visual (in estimating the crowd size) since the street is filled for blocks and the courthouse lawn is filled."

The forecast for possible rain on Friday, Dec. 1, may or may not deter attendees. After all, we do like our holiday season tree lightings and events, because St. Charles and Batavia also draw big crowds for these types of things. The Electric Christmas Parade last weekend in St. Charles again had thousands of people lining the street.

We had to give up a lot of this sort of thing during the pandemic, so we are happy to see the big crowds.

Be careful when driving around these holiday events, and be patient with people navigating it all on foot.

dheun@sbcglobal.net