Geneva residents, downtown property owners and other community stakeholders are invited to learn more about the City’s proposed downtown zoning updates during a series of workshops this winter.
Following the adoption of the Downtown Station-Area Master Plan in 2012, the City began the process of preparing zoning ordinance adjustments – known as the Downtown Zoning Update – to implement the plan. The project’s goal is to review current zoning regulations and adopt zoning amendments that match up with the master plan’s recommendations.
The Downtown Zoning Update began in 2013 with help from consulting firm Teska Associates, Inc., but the project was delayed due to funding issues. The City Council approved additional consulting assistance in 2017 to move the Downtown Zoning Update forward.
While the draft zoning amendments are wide-ranging, the core project objectives were to provide consistency between the downtown master plan and the City’s zoning ordinance, remove barriers to investment and development, and to streamline the review process without compromising quality.
The following Downtown Zoning Update community workshops will be held at 7 p.m. in the Geneva City Hall Council Chambers, 109 James St.:
Workshop No. 1 – Tuesday, Jan. 29
Geared toward business and commercial property owners, the session will feature a presentation of key changes and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions.
Workshop No. 2 – Tuesday, Feb. 12
Open to the entire community, the workshop will once again offer a presentation and a Q&A with the audience.
Workshop No. 3 – Tuesday, Feb. 26
City staff and the consultant will conduct an open house to meet with people to answer their questions regarding how the proposed zoning changes relate to specific downtown properties.
Following the public workshops, formal consideration of the proposed amendments will occur by the City’s Historic Preservation Commission, Plan Commission and City Council. The Plan Commission will hold a public hearing where all interested parties will have an opportunity to present testimony about the proposed changes. The City will be mailing letters to impacted downtown property owners about the workshops and public hearing.
The draft changes to the zoning ordinance and zoning map are available for public inspection from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First St. The zoning documents also will be posted on the City’s website. People can subscribe to receive Downtown Zoning Update updates from the City by clicking the “Notify Me” button on the website and subscribing to “Development Projects.”