• The City of Oakwood should consider preparing a master plan for parks, open spaces and recreational opportunities. Since this is an important issue among many residents, the City might consider such a study in order to gather more detailed public input and help address future needs in this key area.
• The City should continue to encourage local property owners to endow land as a means of preserving existing open space areas. Donations can offer tax advantages to property owners as well as preserve important environmental features and help relieve some of the concerns related to estate subdivision.
• There should continue to be cooperation between the City, the Oakwood City Schools, NCR, nearby communities, and regional agencies in the provision of recreational facilities. Sites and facilities should be shared, and programs and services should be coordinated to the extent possible.

Other community facilities in Oakwood include:

1. 1.  The US Post Office.
2. 2.  Lutheran Church of Our Savior.
3. 3.  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
4. 4.  The Chabad Center of Greater Dayton.
5. 5.  Oakwood United Methodist Church.
6. 6.  Concordia Lutheran Church.
7. 7.  A portion of the Beth Abraham Cemetery.

These are important focal points within the community and some have historical interest.

The City of Oakwood is an attractive and distinctive community characterized by quality neighborhoods, historic homes, tree-lined streets, compact commercial areas, extensive landscaping, and a variety of public and institutional amenities. Oakwood’s traditional image and character helps make the community unique and make it a very desirable place to live, work and do business. This Community Character Plan highlights several of the physical features that help give Oakwood its special community character.

Oakwood developed over a period of many years and its neighborhoods reflect the City’s different stages of development. Oakwood’s neighborhoods are among its most important visual assets, and neighborhood image and character should be preserved and enhanced.

The City should ensure that all new single-family and multi-family developments and major residential additions are compatible with and complement existing neighborhood character and provide overall value to the community.

The structural condition of buildings in Oakwood is very good, as well as the overall level of property maintenance. However, several business and commercial buildings should be upgraded. Most of these structures have minor deficiencies related to painting, roofs, and windows.

The majority of Oakwood’s housing stock was constructed between the 1920s and 1940s, and it is important that the older stock be adequately maintained and upgraded. The Property