Geneva council annexes 5.75-acre site for 24-unit Prairie Grove townhome development

The Geneva City Council on Jan. 21 voted to annex two parcels totaling about 5.75 acres along Peck Road and approved a comprehensive-plan amendment, zoning map change and a preliminary/final plat to clear the way for the Prairie Grove townhome development.

The actions approved were the annexation ordinance (Ordinance 2025-04), a comprehensive plan amendment changing the land from single-family residential to single-family attached residential, a zoning-map amendment to R-6 medium-density residential (Ordinance 2025-05), and a preliminary and final plat of subdivision for the Prairie Grove development (Resolution 2025-09). All three land-use items passed with nine votes in the affirmative, zero nay votes and one alderperson absent.

The approvals allow FD Fund 2 LLC to annex and develop the site — identified in the agenda as parcel numbers 12-05-100-003 and 12-05-100-006 — with 24 townhomes: 18 single-story ranch units and six two-story units. Each unit will include a front-loaded two-car garage and additional parking on private driveways. The site plan calls for one full access to Peck Road and a public cul-de-sac turnaround to accommodate emergency vehicles, and the developer and staff said the site is heavily wooded and bounded by the Prairie View neighborhood and the Prairie Green Preserve.

City Administrator Dawkins summarized the proposal for the council, noting the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval at its Jan. 9, 2025 meeting. “The applicant, FD Fund 2 LLC, is proposing to annex the site ... develop a 24 unit townhome community featuring 18 single story ranch units and 6 two story dwellings,” Dawkins said during the presentation.

Alderperson Mayer, who said she had received multiple constituent letters, framed the council’s decision in terms of the city’s housing goals and local market demand. “We have a goal to offer Geneva residents diverse housing options,” Mayer said. She added that the project includes replanting trees and that the proposal’s density (R-6) is lower than nearby R-7 zoning.

Several council members spoke in favor of the project during floor discussion, citing the need for more single-floor housing. Alderperson Bruno said he had previously resisted developments that lacked one‑story living options and expressed support that the project includes the housing type he sought. The council then moved to roll-call votes on the annexation, plan amendment, zoning change and plat; each measure passed 9–0 with one member absent.

Residents who addressed the council during public comment expressed frustration and disappointment. Brad, a resident who said he lives near the Prairie Grove site, told the council he and his neighbors opposed the project and questioned whether approvals reflect residents’ input. “We do not want this project,” he said, adding concerns about property values, flooding and traffic.

Another resident and multiple attendees said they had felt brought late into the planning process and asked for earlier community engagement on future proposals. Johanna Patterson, communications director for the Geneva Chamber, used the public-comment time to announce Chamber events but did not speak for or against the development.

City staff members on hand to answer council questions included Director Babica, who responded to technical questions about site layout and public improvements. Dawkins and Babica told the council the developer had provided the required materials and that the recommendations coming from the Planning and Zoning Commission had been forwarded to the council for formal action.

The council’s approvals do not themselves authorize construction; additional permits and engineering approvals will be required before site work begins. The developer’s representatives attended the meeting but were not named on the record. County and other permitting requirements, and any required public-improvement agreements, remain to be addressed in subsequent staff and council actions.

Council members and staff noted that the project had produced substantial correspondence from neighbors and that some residents remained strongly opposed. The council majority concluded that the proposal met the city’s comprehensive-plan and zoning criteria and voted to approve the annexation, plan amendment, zoning change and plat.

Plans and application materials for the Prairie Grove development are on file in the City of Geneva planning packet referenced in the meeting agenda; the packet lists the developer as FD Fund 2 LLC and records the Planning and Zoning Commission’s unanimous recommendation.