7.
Enforce high standards of construction for all new buildings and landscape development within the City of Oakwood.
a.
The city has maintained and enforced a comprehensive zoning code for decades. The code was completely rewritten in 2000 and has been incrementally updated several times since then. As prescribed in the code, the city uses the citizen members of the 5-person Planning Commission and 5-person Board of Zoning Appeals to review applications and render decisions on matters of land use and development. A key code provision is the requirement that new commercial construction undergo rigorous scrutiny via the Major Site Development Plan Review process.
b.
The city maintains the employment of a fulltime Code Enforcement Officer whose primary duty is to oversee city-wide compliance with the zoning code, property maintenance code, and various building codes.
c.
In 2018, the city established the Director of Properties position, a role which supervises the Code Enforcement Officer and all aspects of Planning and Zoning in the city.
NEW OBJECTIVES:
1.
Work with the local business community to upgrade the image and appearance of existing commercial and business areas, including buildings, parking lots, signage, and the public rights-of-way.
a.
The city continuously maintains public features and spaces within the business districts and regularly seeks ways in which to make improvements. Following is a list of significant projects undertaken over the past 20 years:
i.
In 2014 and 2015, the city replaced nearly all of the center median and curbside trees in the Far Hills Avenue Business District, renewing this primary component of the business district landscaping. In total, 164 new trees were planted.
ii.
In 2008, the city built a parking lot on the former site of a 4-unit apartment building on the south side of Orchard Drive just east of Far Hills Avenue to address parking needs in the Far Hills Avenue Business District. The parking lot design included construction of rain gardens to accommodate the stormwater runoff generated by building the additional hard surface area. The project also included planting 10 new trees in the parking lot. In 2022, the city built a two port, Level 2 electric vehicle charging station in the parking lot. The parking lot has been the location of the Oakwood Farmers’ Market since it was established in 2013.
iii.
In 2011, the city partnered with Miami Valley Lighting and the Greater Dayton RTA to replace all of the decorative street lights in the Far Hills Avenue Business District. The three agencies split the cost of the project.
iv.
The city continuously maintains the timber safety wall in the Far Hills Avenue Business District. The wall was installed in 1974 and is an important part of the business district roadway infrastructure as it provides a substantial, yet aesthetically pleasing separation between the pedestrian-friendly business areas and State Route 48 (Far Hills Avenue). Even though the wall is nearly 50 years old, it still serves its intended purpose. Routine maintenance is conducted as needed, and more comprehensive repair and repainting projects are completed