ment. Several of the redevelopment sites are in close proximity to the City of Oakwood. These are highlighted below.

South Dixie Highway Corridor. This corridor stretches from south of Dorothy Lane north to the Kettering municipal boundary along South Dixie Highway. This corridor has a significant amount of under-used and aging commercial structures and an inconsistent quality of development. Recommendations include:

• Concentrate commercial development in the areas closest to the intersection of Dorothy Lane and South Dixie Highway. Much has been done over the past two years to address this issue.
• Concentrate the urban corridor development to the north and east of Dorothy Lane and South Dixie Highway.
• Centralize commercial center uses at the intersection of South Dixie Highway and Dorothy Lane as part of the Governor's Place development.
• Establish a gateway feature at both ends of the corridor.
• Improve the roadway aesthetics with street trees.
• Develop appropriate buffers between commercial and residential areas.

Van Buren Site. This site includes the vacant Van Buren strip shopping center and the commercial area west of Smithville Road. This area has residential uses on the north, east, and south, and the Kettering Business Park on the west. Recommendations include:

• Develop the site as a mixed-use, neighborhood scale commercial center.
• Retain the mixed-use, commercial, or office uses on the northwest corner of the Van Buren site.
• Develop higher-density residential uses throughout the balance of the site.
• Focus redevelopment of the commercial area west of Smithville Road as neighborhood commercial.

Wiles Creek/Kettering. This neighborhood is characterized by modest and substandard single-family homes that have been characterized by inconsistent maintenance. Much of this area is in a floodplain or floodway, constraining new investment in the area. Recommendations include:

• Establish a neighborhood park in the western portion of the area.
• Enhance the existing single-family neighborhood by grant and loan programs to improve and replace homes.
• Continue to provide curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements.
• Develop new higher-density homes and town homes between the Wiles Creek neighborhood and the proposed park to the west.
• Develop strategies to address homes most susceptible to flooding.

Regional Issues

As the second largest City in the area, Kettering is a key part of the greater Dayton region. Growth in each community in the Dayton area is affected by policies enacted within that community, and the policies and actions of nearby communities. The Kettering Plan recommends:

• Cooperate to help find companies that fit the economic profile of the region.
• Promote more positive attitudes among residents and businesses within the region.
• Create a “regional unity” that would become a key asset in the marketplace.