Shodeen’s Patzelt shows support to Geneva mayoral challenger Pawlik

The apparent impasse between developer Shodeen and the city of Geneva has become a campaign issue between incumbent Mayor Kevin Burns and challenger Karsten Pawlik ahead of the April 1 consolidated election.

Pawlik’s campaign website shows him standing before the circa 1843 blacksmith shop at 4 E. State St. and his campaign signs are outside the property at the southwest corner of Illinois Routes 25 and 38.

The city cited owner Shodeen Family Foundation – now listed as Mill Race Land Company LLC – last fall on a maintenance violation, seeking to have the structure made weather tight for the winter.

Even after a hearing officer upheld the citation and $750 fine per day, Shodeen refused to pay and filed two lawsuits for judicial review that are pending.

The $750 per day fine against Shodeen started on Oct. 17, 2024, records show. As of Friday, March 14, the fine is up to $117,750.

David Patzelt, president of the Shodeen Group, said Pawlik had permission to post his signs.

“One of the challenges or issues that I believe Karsten wants, is to take a more logical or sensible approach and have discussions and negotiate a reasonable solution – where I don’t see reasonableness now with the current City Council and mayor and Historic Preservation (Commission),” Patzelt said.

If Pawlik is elected, Patzelt said he didn’t see the city pulling back on the fines or not continuing the litigation.

And while Patzelt said he has personally donated money to Pawlik’s campaign, he said he did not seek any favors regarding the former Mill Race property if he wins.

“He has not promised anything,” Patzelt said.

“I would say he has more of an open opinion on historic preservation,” Patzelt said of Pawlik. “He’s not anti historic preservation. He’s not twisted or turned, but more about reaching a resolution – a reasonable resolution.”

For his part, Pawlik said he and Patzelt have not spoken about the blacksmith shop since he declared his candidacy for mayor.

“I do believe we can come to resolution and get both parties to the table,” Pawlik said. “That is an issue I see with the city – people in silos negotiating a deal.”

Pawlik said when there is a good compromise, usually both parties are not happy.

“Usually neither party is happy, but they can both live with it and that is what we are looking for – to get people to the table,” Pawlik said. “With problems and issues – you cannot just sit there and hope it works out. You have to get people to the table and work it out. That’s my basic message."

At the September adjudication hearing, city attorney Ronald Sandack said officials were told three times that a plan was coming – then nothing.

As to his campaign signs on the 4 E. State St. property, Pawlik said he asked permission to post them.

“If Kevin would have asked, they would have let him put up signs,” Pawlik said. “Fuller Car Wash has both our signs.”

Burns said it sounded like Patzelt was seeking a “wink-and-a-nod deal.”

“I will not compromise my ethics in doing so,” Burns said.

“I’m surprised a man so steeped in how development approvals are made either doesn’t know, or fails to remember, a mayor does not unilaterally determine what’s approved, a majority of a City Council does, period,” Burns said.

The site can be de-designated as a historic landmark with eight votes on the council or Shodeen can submit a redevelopment proposal that includes razing the blacksmith shop – that can pass with six votes from the council, Burns said.

At a candidate meet-and-greet at a Geneva pizza restaurant Feb. 24, Pawlik criticized the historic landmarking process, specific to 4 E. State St.

“That blacksmith shop was historically landmarked after the owner bought the property,” Pawlik had said then. “It was done afterwards - it wasn’t done ahead of time. That’s the problem, right?”

According to city code, a property can be nominated by a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, property owner or interested party.

Pawlik is vice president of operations for Alpine Demolition Services LLC, in St. Charles, a company owned by his wife, Kelli Pawlik, according to Secretary of State records.

Shodeen listed Alpine Demolition as the company to take down the former blacksmith shop when it first filed for a demolition permit from the city Dec. 20, 2017.

Seven days later, Fred Zinke filed an application to designate it a historic landmark.

In 2018, the Historic Preservation Commission voted to recommend Historic Landmark status and the City Council upheld the commission’s recommendation.