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Is Oakwood ready to build a facility similar to Trent Arena?

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Martin Hogue of Washington Twp. practices his swing Sept. 10 at the Oakwood Community Center, 105 Patterson Road. If the city decides to renovate one facility for a new athletic/recreational complex, the community center would be one of the options, according to City Manager Norbert Klopsch. Staff photo by Kelli Wynn

Staff photo by Kelli Wynn Martin Hogue of Washington Twp. practices his swing Sept. 10 at the Oakwood Community Center, 105 Patterson Road. If the city decides to renovate one facility for a new athletic/recreational complex, the community center would be one of the options, according to City Manager Norbert Klopsch. Staff photo by Kelli Wynn

Community input sought to see if city needs new facilities

By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 9:06 PM Wednesday, September 16, 2009

OAKWOOD — City officials are seeking community input on whether remodeling or building a new recreational facility should be included in the city’s master plan draft.

Residents are invited to attend two meetings — Sept. 22, and Oct. 6 — in the Oakwood High School auditorium. The meetings start at 6:30 p.m.

The goal is to include guidelines for operations, maintenance and capital improvements for the city’s existing athletic facilities over the next five to 10 years. The meetings will help city officials identify unmet recreational needs, information that city manager Norbert Klopsch and Mayor Judy Cook said will help the master plan draft process.

Residents will be asked if the city needs a new recreational facility, and, if so, should an existing facility be remodeled or a new one built. So far, city officials have not placed a price tag on remodeling or building a new center. “We’re not starting out with the predisposition that we’re going to build a facility,” Cook said.

The Oakwood Community Center, at 105 Patterson Road, is the city’s only recreation center.

Klopsch said the master plan either could have a modest proposal, “or it may be that the community is ready and willing to support a significant construction project of some sort, something similar to the Trent Arena perhaps. That’s all to be determined.

“It really truly can end up as a $1 or $2 million, fairly modest thing or 10 times that, if we find that there is enough community support and interest in having that.”

Klopsch said city officials have discussed four possible locations if a new facility is built:

Old River Fields, 25 acres adjacent to the Pointe Oakwood property the city brought from NCR three years ago.
The city’s Community Center.
Krieger Field, a small field next to the Public Works yard.
Irving Field, which is actually in Dayton, but near Krieger Field.

“These are locations, sites and pieces of property that we own,” Klopsch said.

The city has appointed a 25-member citizen advisory committee to help draft the master plan and report its recommendations to the community. The committee includes two residents from each of the city’s precincts, long-time and newer residents, and residents from different age groups, Cook said.

Klopsch said there might be two more community meetings, though dates have not been finalized. He said the city will also use written and telephone surveys for feedback.

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