Geneva panel rejects plan for mega warehouse – again

GENEVA – For the second time in less than a year, the Geneva Planning and Zoning Commission voted Thursday to recommend the denial of a request to allow a 719,200-square-foot warehouse on the northeast corner of Kirk Road and Fabyan Parkway.

The commission voted 4-1 to deny Venture One Acquisitions LLC of Rosemont’s requests to amend the city’s comprehensive plan for the 55.62-acre site, changing it to light industrial from rural single-family residential, rezoning to allow for warehousing and distributions and approving a site plan.

The commission does not deal with annexations, so it did not vote on the company’s request to annex.

The commission had denied the same request last August. It came before the commission again because Venture One withdrew its application before it went to the City Council for final action.

Mark Goode of Venture One said at that time, the company went out of contract with the owner and is now back into contract.

Goode said there is a demand for warehouses of this size in the area.

“This does fit into your long-term comprehensive plan to be a light industrial use in this area,” Goode said. “For a commercial use, you typically want a lot of residential around you. People are used to not driving 4 or 5 or 6 miles to go to shop today. ... We just don’t think there’s enough residences in this area to support 57 acres of retail or commercial use here.”

David Walendziak was among a few residents who spoke out against the warehouse development as too large with too much truck and car traffic.

“I am not against development of the east side to bring in new revenue,” Walendziak said. “But it has to be the right type of growth and in the right location.”

Walendziak said the east-side residents do not want more diesel pollution and truck noise.

“What the residents do want is residential,” Walendziak said. “We need affordable housing in Geneva. This is one of the last big sites left. ... Housing for starting families, for seniors that they can afford to stay living here in Geneva.”

Walendziak said the east-side residents need commercial development for stores as well.

“We have a desert of stores on the east side. We would like to see restaurants to support the sports-theme facilities already here,” Walendziak said. “We do not feel the project as proposed on this parcel of property conforms to the nature and character of the city or what was intended by the strategic plan.”

Commissioner Mim Evans said she did not want to amend the zoning or the comprehensive plan for the site.

“We talked about housing and how affordable housing and how developers are looking for much smaller sites than this,” Evans said. “We need housing in this town, even if it isn’t technically affordable housing. Housing is needed everywhere at every price point, at every level of density.”

Property this large seems easy to develop into a new subdivision, Evans said, and if the warehouse is built, it eliminates the only site left for a new subdivision. City Planner Matt Buesing said the area has been vacant for years and is planned for commercial and industrial use.

“Residential has not been something that the city has thought would be a viable option at that location,” Buesing said.

But Evans said the housing market has changed drastically since the city’s Southeast Master Plan was adopted in 2003.

“This type of operation we are discussing here today wasn’t even in anybody’s minds at that point, and certainly the shortage of housing at that time,” Evans said. “Geneva was full of new subdivisions that were going up on cornfields on the west side, primarily.

“My biggest concern is tying up this site with this particular kind of use and whether or not it is in the best interest – in the long run – of the city, committing to an additional warehouse-type project and eliminating the ability to balance development in the city,” Evans said.

The commission’s recommendation will go to the City Council on May 20.