Citizens Group Begins 'Landmarking' Coultrap

A Geneva Patch blogger and member of the Historic Preservation Commission said Wednesday that a citizens group has started a process to give local "landmark" status to the Coultrap building.

about the local landmarking process, which was published on Geneva Patch at 10 a.m. Wednesday. By the afternoon, a group of citizens had approached city of Geneva's Community Development Director Dick Untch about how to start the process for the Coultrap facility, which is being considered for demolition by School District 304.

It's not a quick process. The procedure is as follows: 

"A public hearing is required to be conducted by the HPC on landmark applications. The landmark designation process requires mailing the public hearing notice to property owners within 250 feet of the proposed landmark property.

"Additionally, a newspaper public hearing notice must be published, and a public hearing sign must be posted on the property. The application must address specific standards. The HPC is required to prepare a report on the application prior to the hearing.

"After the hearing is conducted, the HPC is required to make written findings of fact, and submit them together with a recommendation to the City Council within 60 days of receipt of the application. The council is required to act on the application within 120 days of the city’s receipt of the application.   

"During the period beginning with the filing of an application for landmark designation and ending with the final action of the City Council on the application, no exterior architectural feature of any improvement or any site which is the subject of the application for landmark designation may undergo alteration, construction, demolition or removal."

• Mike Bruno contributed to this report.