GENEVA – A space in downtown Geneva that once sold firearms could now be a place to get your guns pumped up.
At the Feb. 9th Geneva City Council meeting, council President John Barbo said a conditional use permit was issued for 46 and 56 N. Broadway to operate a recreational/gym facility in the Central Business District. The address formerly housed Sports Junction, which closed late last year after the owners retired.
When asked for comment after the meeting, City Manager Joseph Varckette said the gym that received the permit to move into the building was the Main Street Gym, which is currently located at 669 E. Main St., Geneva.
Main Street Gym owner Dave Virant said on Feb. 10 that he is tentatively set to move into the new location by the summer, provided all the building codes are met. Currently, he said that he is about 95 percent sure that “everything is a go.”
“I still have to meet the requirements for the building department, so I have to have my architect draw everything up, have the engineer check it, make sure everything that I do complies with the building department,” he said. “They have to inspect it. There’s a list of things to do.”
He noted that the previous tenant, Sports Junction, was considered “retail,” and he’s changing to occupancy permit to a “fitness/gym” use.
“So, I have to bring it up to code,” he said.
Virant said he wanted to make the move to the new location because he owns the building.
“I’d like to have more room. I’ve been at my present location for 19 years,” he added. “I’m constrained by how much space I have. I can’t really put in more equipment without taking something out. Moving in there, it will be nice. It will give people more room, it will let me fit more equipment in there. People like coming in and working out.”
Barbo noted that council could have requested a public hearing. However, when he asked council members if they had any questions or concerns, nothing was brought up.
“At this point, I think if everybody’s OK with it, we don’t have to pursue any action,” Barbo told council.
When asked for comment, city Zoning Administrator Noell Sivertsen said that although the permit type is “conditional use,” no conditions were put on the use by the planning commission.
Varckette and council members were pleased by the news.
HydroCorp agreements
Council passed two resolutions authorizing the city manager to enter into agreements with HydroCorp. The first agreement is for the company to assist the city in its cross-connection control/backflow prevention program for Year One in the amount of $43,145.34.
Varckette noted that the city is mandated to do the work.
In his report to council, he wrote that per Ohio Administrative Code 3745 Chapter 95 (Cross-Connection Control/Backflow Prevention), the city water department is responsible for conducting initial surveys, periodic investigations and establishing program reporting procedures for all non-residential accounts.
“As this can be a very tedious and time-consuming process, we are looking to engage the services of HydroCorp to assist us with these mandated obligations,” he wrote, noting that HydroCorp will provide tools, manpower and the expertise needed to complete 251 initial surveys, a full year’s worth, by the completion date of June 30, 2026. He noted that it’s a water department-budgeted service with an additional appropriations needed.
The second agreement is for HydroCorp to assist the city with the program over five years (Years Two through Six) for $51,675.52. It’s payable annually over the five-year period.
Over the five years, Varckette said the city was looking to have HydroCorp assist the city with completing 20 percent of the required surveys per year to keep the city in the “good graces with the OEPA (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) and within compliance of Administrative Code 3745. “Under this arrangement, the annual cost will be significantly less, averaging $10,335 per year for five years,” Varckette wrote in his report to council.
West Main Street Project Phase II
Varckette announced that a meeting was to be held Thursday, Feb. 12, with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Mannik Smith and Verdantas to begin the planning process for the West Main Street Project Phase II. According to Varckette, it’s a required meeting under the conditions of the $2 million in funding that the city was awarded through the ODOT Small City Grant. The funding will become available in 2028 under the current federal budget timeline, he said.
CDBG public hearing
Varckette announced that the first of two public hearings for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the Ashtabula County Commissioners’ meeting room in Jefferson. He noted that the county commissioners will be serving as the lead agency, and the City of Geneva, in partnership with the county commissioners, along with other county-wide municipalities, intend to apply to the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Services, for funding under the CDBG Program Year 2026. According to Varckette, CDBG grants can be used for projects such as housing, economic development activities, street improvements, water supply, drainage and sanitary sewer improvements. He noted that the CDBG program is a federally-funded program administered by the State of Ohio. Varckette said the city is eligible, under its partnership with the other entities, for up to $300,000 in Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) funds. At the hearing, he said, the county planning and development staff will explain funding sources, program requirements and filing information for various grants.
ACGP Façade Kick-off Meeting
Varckette said a second kick-off meeting for program applicants to the Appalachian Community Grant Program (ACGP) Storefront (Façade) Improvement program was being held at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Dark Room Brewery in Geneva. He noted that the meeting was to cover such items as a status update of where the city is in the process, a review of private procurement regulations, and more. “It took much effort to get to this point and we’re thrilled to be moving forward,” he wrote in his report to council.
Safe Streets and Roads 4 All Kick-off Meeting
Varckette said a kick-off meeting of the steering committee for the Safe Streets and Roads 4 All (SS4A) steering committee was set for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the city council chambers.
Varckette provided some information about the city’s involvement in SS4A in his report to council.
“In late 2024, the City of Geneva and Geneva and Harpersfield Townships were awarded a $212,000 grant, with a $53,000 local match, as part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),” he wrote, noting that the grant pays for developing a “Roadway Safety Action Plan” that works to implement the vision and principles of “Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach” in an effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
According to Varckette, the Roadway Safety Action Plan analyzes several things such as traffic crash data, roadway conditions, and public engagement to develop a set of traffic safety countermeasures. “These countermeasures, intended to reduce traffic crash injuries and fatalities, range from additional signage to intersection rebuilds, from public education programs to increased traffic enforcement, and everything in between,” he wrote.
Varckette said the final product is a written plan that outlines critical areas and the countermeasures necessary to make them safer. “With this plan, the participating communities can go out and obtain funding for construction via a number of programs, including ODOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP),” he wrote. “HSIP continues to grow, having allotted roughly $200 million this year alone to roadway improvements
Appointment/reappointment announced
Varckette announced the appointment of Mike Kovacic to the Shade Tree Commission, replacing Tim Bittner, who retired last year. Council President John Barbo also re-appointed Derrik Yopp to the Civil Service Commission for a six-year term.
