If You Build It, They Will Come...Back?

The first of two public hearings for any amendments to the Master Plan was held earlier this month at the Geneva Middle/High School Auditorium. Due to an equipment malfunction on FLTV’s sound board, their recording turned out to be video-only, and therefore won’t be shown on Channel 12.

We continue to be impressed with the “public intelligence” displayed at these meetings where the comments from community members are often far more insightful than anything we hear from Council. But, just when we thought there was no one left who supported Building 12, a group has come forward asking Council to adopt the plan ‘as is’ (with Building 12 included) for the sake of Geneva’s children.

David Linger, a non-resident who lives in Liverpool, outside of Syracuse, but owns property in Geneva, highlighted his partner, Wendy Marsh, and her high school classmates as the kind of people that need to come back to live in Geneva.

He said something to the effect that no one on Council was taking into consideration the needs and interests of younger people, people who grew up in the area and would like to make it their home(s) permanently. Really? No one?

Actually, having grown up in Geneva and looking out for the interest of multi-generational locals, including family, seems to be the key to success on this Council and in this City. If anything it is 'outsiders', folks who weren’t born here, that aren't always considered. Virtually the entire Council was born and raised in Geneva and attended school here: D’Amico, Valentino, Cosentino, Greco, Alcock, and O'Malley. Hagerman and Augustine went to neighboring high schools, leaving only the Mayor as a true 'outsider.' We'd say the 'local perspective' is well-represented (in quantity).

Linger went on to say that condominiums on the lakefront were the kind of thing that would “draw people back” for more than just a short stay for a class reunion. A few more speakers joined Linger’s call to “think of the children” and build condos. that would “bring our kids back to live here.” Again, we ask, “Really?”

Could it really be the case that Geneva’s children, who go off to college and earn advanced degrees and settle in other areas would return in droves to repopulate the area--if only there were condos on the lakefront to accommodate them? We think not, and we’ll offer a few reasons of our own for our readers to consider and comment on.

Let’s just put the obvious out there: Geneva’s children aren’t leaving the area to chase condos., they’re leaving to chase down good jobs. Augustine’s no spring chicken (she’s already 31 for Heaven’s sake!) but it wasn’t that long ago that she was talking with her college friends about what they were all going to do after graduation. And Capraro is currently helping his two boys through this same decision-making process. There are basically two options: continue on with school for a Masters or Doctorate, or go to work. Many graduates take off from their college towns to bigger cities like Boston, Washington, Raleigh, Denver, or somewhere on the west coast. They are driven, not by the pursuit of a great condo., but by the search for a great job.

At some point, those college graduates will reach a point where they are thinking about ‘settling down’ and it is then that we believe Geneva--as it currently exists--is best poised to “bring them home.” Geneva is a great place to raise a family, to re-establish or to create some roots. Which brings us to our second point, people returning to Geneva with their families aren’t coming back to live in lakefront condos., they’re coming back to live in neighborhoods (see our previous post on that). Even the Bergmann representative, who made the initial unveiling of “Building #12” at the Ramada this summer, described the lakefront condo. market as ‘empty nesters.’

So, while it was interesting to hear this new take on the need to build lakefront condos., we don’t find it to be a very compelling argument. We appreciate David Linger and Wendy Marsh’s efforts to improve the downtown by purchasing and renovating key properties. We think those efforts will do a lot towards attracting new businesses and new residents to the area. But in the big picture, people who are concerned with creating a City that our children will either stay in, or return to, should follow our lead in calling for more progressive and dynamic economic development strategies and improved neighborhood conditions.