around Houk Stream. In 2009, a portion of that land became the home of Francine’s Garden, a public garden honoring the life of the former property owner.
c.
In 2017, the city accepted a 0.6-acre parcel of undeveloped greenspace from the Oakwood Investment Group at the northwest corner of West Schantz Avenue and Far Hills Avenue. As a condition of the donation, this property shall remain a public greenspace in perpetuity.
d.
In 2020, the city purchased the property at 1313 Far Hills to accommodate the reconstruction of a major storm sewer that is reaching the end of its useful life. The existing home on that property will be demolished to provide space for installing the new sewer. After installation of the sewer, the land will likely be retained as new greenspace.
2. HOUSING and RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Goal:
A housing inventory and living environment that supports the local population, attracts new families, and enhances the traditional image and character of the City.
EXISTING OBJECTIVES:
1.
Retain the predominant single-family character of the City of Oakwood.
a.
Oakwood consists of 2.2 square miles of land area. Since its founding, Oakwood has been the classic “bedroom community,” and it has remained that for 150 years. The first platting of the “Town of Oakwood” occurred in 1872, and Oakwood was incorporated as a village in 1908. The 1930 US Census reported that Oakwood’s population exceeded 5,000, meaning Oakwood then became a city. The comprehensive Oakwood zoning code and map were adopted in 1952, formalizing that Oakwood was to remain primarily residential. 98% of Oakwood land is zoned residential.
b.
Over the past 20 years, only two small properties were rezoned from residential to commercial. These were properties adjacent to what is now the Routsong Retail Center, and had both been previously used in conjunction with the former Routsong Funeral Home.
2.
Maintain the scale, quality and appearance of existing residential neighborhoods.
a.
Most of Oakwood was fully developed by 1950. The scale, quality and appearance of the residential neighborhoods was established by the original founders of the city and was carefully carried forward during the two or three decades when the vast majority of Oakwood homes were constructed. Over the years since 1950, most residential development has been in the form of building single family homes on in-fill lots, either as a rebuild or on parcels of land sprinkled intermittently along otherwise fully developed residential blocks.
b.
The single biggest residential development to occur in Oakwood since 1950 was the Pointe Oakwood neighborhood located in the northwest corner of Oakwood, north of W. Schantz Avenue and west of Far Hills Avenue. The 36 acres of land was owned by NCR corporation until 2007, but preliminary city planning for its eventual redevelopment/reuse began in the late 1980s and continued through 2004.