Survey says: most of Oakley wants to keep its small town, community feel.
More than 200 people took the survey, which included questions about city center development. Despite overwhelming agreement that Oakley is a great place to live, ideas about maintaining and improving the quality of life differed.
Residents were able to comment directly on city center development plans through multiple choice and free response questions. Some of the longest responses were from those opposed to city center development or the direction it’s taking.
Still, relatively few said Oakley should be left as is. People see room for improvement in the area of pedestrian safety.
A common complaint was the speed of traffic through the middle of town on state Route 32, without there being sidewalks or other ways for pedestrians to navigate.
The top two things residents said are missing from town were recreation trails and elements that promote community character, such as a Main Street, landscaping, open space and agricultural preservation.
When asked about city center development, many respondents took issue with the drive-thru FiiZ soda shop added to the expanded diner, which now features a coffee shop and bakery too.
However, residents are far from a consensus on local businessman Steve Smith’s efforts to revamp the area.
Some people thought the current development application includes too many parking spaces, although others noted a lack of parking spills over negatively into city streets.
