4. Ensure that home improvements, additions and new housing construction are compatible with, complement and enhance existing neighborhood scale and character; review and revise, as needed, zoning regulations as they relate to building bulk issues.
a. Oakwood property owners are required to apply for and receive permits for home improvement projects, additions and new housing construction. Some projects involve special uses or code variances and require hearings before the Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals. Other project can be approved at the staff level. In either case, compatibility with the neighborhood is a key factor considered when evaluating an application.
b. In 2000, the city completed a comprehensive rewrite of the Zoning Code. Since then, no major substantive code changes have been necessary.
5. Take steps to ensure high standards for building and landscape design within all residential areas; consider the establishment of a Design Review Board, as a voluntary resource that would provide creative advice and assistance to the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, City Council and to property owners considering home improvements or new construction.
a. As explained in 4a above, the city takes care in evaluating residential building applications. This review includes consideration of building quality and landscape design. City staff has had discussions with representatives from The Oakwood Historical Society in regard to establishing a Design Review Board as an option for property owners interested in obtaining professional advice on design matters. To date, no such Board exists. If it is to be created, it is probably best operated through the Historical Society.
b. Since 2011, a design review process has been implemented to advise the development of the Pointe Oakwood residential neighborhood.
3. COMMERCIAL and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Goal:
A system of retail, service and office development that provides local residents with needed goods and services, increases the City’s tax base, and is a vital part of the Oakwood community.
EXISTING OBJECTIVES:
1. Maintain Oakwood’s existing commercial areas as primarily community-oriented shopping and business districts, rather than regionally-oriented centers.
a. In the normal cycle, small businesses come and go. Some are very successful in a particularly niche market, while others struggle to implement their business plan. This normal cycle exists in the Oakwood Community and Neighborhood Business Districts. Year after year, the businesses that choose Oakwood as their home are community-oriented; they fit well into the established business districts.
2. Ensure that all commercial sites and buildings are adequately maintained, and that maintenance and repairs are undertaken as required and in a timely fashion.
a. Each year, city staff completes a comprehensive inspection of the Oakwood residential and business community. This results in the issuance of numerous property maintenance violation letters that require property owners to take specific