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Residents urge clearer communication after Duke and Lee zoning lapse; speakers press city on dam removal analysis
Summary
Mayor Kevin Burns told the chamber that no extension request had been filed for the former Duke and Lee’s property and that the parcel had reverted to its original commercial zoning.
Mayor Kevin Burns opened Monday’s Geneva City Council meeting by reading an anonymous text message that had circulated urging residents to attend the meeting about the “former Duke and Lee’s” site and warning the council to let a supposed zoning extension lapse. Burns told the chamber that no extension request had been received by the city, and that, under city code, the property had reverted to its original commercial zoning.
That briefing framed public comments later in the meeting, when Patrice BerthEau, speaking for a new group called Geneva Voices, urged the city to proactively provide more timely and accessible information about local projects. “Critical opportunity for proactive communication lies with the potential on the Geneva Dam removal,” BerthEau said, and asked the city to provide a comparative financial analysis of removing, modifying or keeping the dam that includes identified funding risks.
Retired engineer Steve Berthoe told the council he had submitted multiple letters and technical critiques of regional dam removal studies and urged caution before accepting Corps of Engineers recommendations. He described technical and environmental risks he said attach to removals and offered to help: “I will donate $400,000 of my own personal funds to help put a step spillway in to pay the city of Geneva’s cost difference,” he told the council, saying such a change could reduce public safety risk while preserving the pond and wetlands.
Other residents used public comment to press for greater transparency on long-running local matters, including the stalled Mill Race Inn property and the withdrawn $68 million police station referendum. City officials repeatedly pointed residents to the city website and the “Notify Me” alerts feature for project notices; Burns walked the public through how to subscribe during his opening remarks.
Why it matters: City officials said no formal request had been received that would change Duke and Lee’s zoning, placing any future development proposals into the standard review path — vetting by staff, a public hearing before the Planning & Zoning Commission, and then council consideration. At the same time, public commenters framed dam removal as a high-stakes decision that would benefit from more proactive outreach and a documented cost-risk analysis before the city takes a policy position.
What the council said and next steps: Burns said the city will continue to post notice of development proposals on the city’s development web page and encourage residents to sign up for email/text alerts. No formal council action on the Duke and Lee property or on dam removal occurred at this meeting; the mayor and commenters described next steps as staff review and standard planning and zoning processes.
Context and local reaction: Geneva Voices said it plans to continue engagement and thanked Alders Reineke, Palmquist and Furnish for earlier responsiveness. Residents asked the city to publish more complete cost estimates and environmental analyses before significant commitments are made. Several speakers requested that the city clarify what, if any, funding obligations the municipality might assume under different dam outcomes and to make comparative estimates public.
Ending: The council did not vote on policy relating to the Duke and Lee site or on dam removal at the Oct. 6 meeting. City staff and the mayor recommended subscribing to the city’s notification system for updates on any future applications or study results.
