Welcome to Sam Hill Park, the late alderman and commissioner on the Geneva Park District, whose name was dedicated to the South Street ballfields in 2022.

The city-owned property next to the Public Works building will be the site for a new police station if voters approve the $59.4 million public safety referendum on the March 17 primary ballot.

And that means the name Sam Hill Park will have to move.

Neighbors in the 42-home Dover Ridge subdivision, such as Rob Humphreys, object.

“All the neighbors are upset,” Humphreys said. “He was a legacy in that neighborhood.”

Humphreys said the city should explore other places to build a police station.

“There’s a lot of history in this neighborhood because Sam and Carolyn Hill founded this neighborhood,” Humphreys said. “It’s her name and her family’s name which we’re trying to honor her park and keep it in her family.”

Fifth Ward Alderpersons Mark Reinecke and Jeff Palmquist met with him and about 25 neighbors a couple of weeks ago.

“Mark and I were happy to meet with the neighbors and answer questions,” Palmquist said. “The Facilities Master Plan did explore quite a few different sites, but this was the one that emerged as the preferred site.”

The meeting with alderpersons included Carolyn Hill, Sam’s widow, who now lives in Batavia.

“It was a very emotional meeting,” Humphreys said. “She made a comment to the alderman, ‘What do I tell my children and grandchildren about Sam Hill Park demolished for a police department?’”

Humphreys said the response was, “‘We’ll just move the sign.’”

“Not good enough,” Humphreys said. “It was a slap in the face to the widower.”

Carolyn Hill agreed.

“Yes it was,” she said.

“He [Sam Hill] was very pro Geneva – city or parks – but I’m not sure he would have said, ‘Put the sign somewhere else,’” Carolyn Hill said.

“The city has always been a proponent of open space and parks,” Carolyn Hill said. “The primary issue is losing the park, taking the open space. ... I think the neighbors need to feel they have a right to protest a location.”

Geneva Park District Board President Jay Moffat said the district is under its second 25-year lease of the South Street ballfields with the city.

If the referendum passes, negotiations have already started about finding land to replace the ballfields, he said.

“Yes, we the park district are concerned, but we believe we have a good cooperative arrangement with the city moving forward to find additional space to put the ballfields,” Moffat said. “It would be unfortunate to lose the ballfields, but it’s the reality of what is in the better interest of the entire population of Geneva. I’m sure we are going to find something that would be appropriate.”

Most people don’t even call it Sam Hill Park, Moffat said.

The 17-acre site is noted on the park district’s website as South Street Athletic Fields.

“We are concerned about losing those two ballfields,” Moffat said. “There’s 50 games a year there, not to mention all the practice that takes place on those fields. We are confident the city and park district will work cooperatively to find a location to build new ballfields to take care of that situation.”

Mayor Kevin Burns added that the city and park district have a long history of collaboration.

“Should the voters approve the referendum, the park district and neighbors can rest assured that the city will partner with all stakeholders to ensure minimal disruptions in the immediate and long-term,” Burns said.

As to where Sam Hill Park would move, Moffat said they could memorialize him in another area.

“We will definitely have something named after Sam Hill,” Moffat said. “Sam Hill was a true statesman in the community, a rare thing in these days.”

Moffat said the nearby skate park would also have to be relocated.

“It’s a good idea about moving the skate park to an area with more intense use than the current location – more in the geographic center of the park district,” Moffat said.