How You Can Shape the Future of Housing in Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles

Every once in a awhile, maybe while I'm walking AJ, I'll look at the stock of houses in the various neighborhoods in Geneva and St. Charles and get to wondering.

It occurs to me that — no matter how well built — houses don't last forever. And that means, logically, that a community two choices: succumb to entropy or reinvent itself over time.

Now, you have a chance to be party of the future decision-making.

The city of Geneva is preparing a long-term housing policy plan, and is asking residents for their ideas and suggestions on how to address the community’s future housing needs. 

The public is invited to attend the “Homes for a Changing Region” community workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in the Training Room at Geneva’s Public Works Department, 1800 South St. The forum will identify the city’s housing needs, discuss trends that shape housing supply and demand, and explore how the city can create a balanced mix of housing to serve current and future populations.

The city of Geneva Strategic Plan for 2017 identifies the creation of a housing policy plan as one of its top priorities. The city’s plan is being prepared — along with similar plans for Batavia, St. Charles and North Aurora — with the assistance from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Kane County Development Department, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Metropolitan Planning Council.

“The housing planning process will quantify existing and future housing needs across the age and income spectrum; information we’ve never had before,” Geneva’s Director of Community Development Dick Untch said. “It will improve our understanding on what the city’s housing needs are and help us shape housing policies to meet those needs.”

The meeting will start with an overview on the housing analysis prepared for Geneva, followed by small-group discussions where workshop participants will be able to share ideas on the future of housing in the city and potential strategies to meet housing objectives.

Finally, the workshop participants will be asked for their ideas on how a selected “focus area” in Geneva might be redeveloped. Possible land uses and other development characteristics will be discussed.

Light refreshments will be served at the workshop. To RSVP, which is encouraged but not required, contact Berenice Vallecillos at bvallecillos@cmap.illinois.gov or at 312-386-8623.

Residents who cannot attend the workshop can still give their feedback via an online survey at www.foxvalley.metroquest.com. The survey will be available throughout the month of November.

The workshop is sponsored by the city of Geneva with support from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Local Technical Assistance program, through which communities receive planning assistance to implement recommendations from the GO TO 2040 comprehensive plan at the local level. For more information, visit www.cmap.illinois.gov/homes. 

The Homes for a Changing Region planning process under way for Geneva, Batavia, North Aurora, and St. Charles helps this cluster of communities plan for future housing supply and demand needs. The final plan will have recommendations both at the municipal and subregional level.

You can stay up to date on this project’s progress at www.cmap.illinois.gov/homes. There you can find meeting information for upcoming public meetings Geneva (Nov. 7), Batavia (Nov. 13), and St. Charles (Nov. 20).

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