DAYTON -- Charles Howard has lived in the Roosevelt neighborhood in the west side of Dayton for 40 years.
"I've seen it when it was at its best and I've seen it at its worst," he said.
City Commissioner Nan Whaley wants to make sure the worst is behind us. In front of a construction site in the Roosevelt Neighborhood on Tuesday, Whaley unveiled the second part of her Roadmap for Dayton: A Vision for Thriving Dayton Neighborhoods. Focusing on providing excellent city services, safety in our neighborhoods, and fighting property abandonment and blight, Whaley rolled out the plan to strengthen and protect Daytonâs neighborhoods.
âDaytonâs strength is in its diversity. This is also true in our neighborhoods. From McPhersontown to Westwood, Belmont to Madden Hills, Dayton has always had a wide variety of housing stock and neighborhoods with very different personalities. Dayton has always been a mosaic of unique neighborhoods differing in character, assets and challenges,â Whaley said. âOur neighborhoods offer so much potential for Daytonâs future. But, as I have mentioned before, a mayor is needed to champion these efforts and to communicate and connect these possibilities and opportunities. After all, we are creating a road map for Dayton - that connects and leverages the assets and hard work that has already begun for our city.â
Getting rid of vacant homes and building new ones is only a portion of Nan Whaley's vision for thriving Dayton neighborhoods she says its also very important to give the people of each specific Dayton neighborhood a voice.
"It's a set of priorities and there's five principles in the plan," she said.
Those five principles:
-Providing Excellent City Services
-Maintaining a Safe Neighborhood Environment
-Fighting Property Abandonment and Blight
-Promoting Neighborhood Uniqueness
-Connecting Our Neighborhoods
"It's about creating partnerships with the neighborhoods making sure housing inspectors view themselves as project managers to make sure that their neighbors have a say on what kind of standard they want in their community," she said.
But her opponents say her plan could go even further.
"We need to develop programs that provide housing and tax credits so that people have incentives to rehabilitate their homes," mayoral candidate A.J. Wagner said. "I plan to meet with neighborhood officials once a week every week so that I can hear their concerns."
"Plans are for politicians, solutions are for the people," responded Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell. "Her plan offers no real solution, and the solution is actually really simple. We need to market Dayton as a world-class city to attract people here and if she would promote Dayton and not her own agenda I think we would be a lot further along."
And the people of the neighborhood just want to see progress.
"I'm impressed and delighted that they are trying to do something not only for the west side of Dayton but the city of Dayton," said Howard. "I just hope the city will continue to support the efforts of whoever is mayor."
READ: Vision for Thriving Dayton Neighborhoods
LINK: Nan Whaley's website
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.
"I've seen it when it was at its best and I've seen it at its worst," he said.
City Commissioner Nan Whaley wants to make sure the worst is behind us. In front of a construction site in the Roosevelt Neighborhood on Tuesday, Whaley unveiled the second part of her Roadmap for Dayton: A Vision for Thriving Dayton Neighborhoods. Focusing on providing excellent city services, safety in our neighborhoods, and fighting property abandonment and blight, Whaley rolled out the plan to strengthen and protect Daytonâs neighborhoods.
âDaytonâs strength is in its diversity. This is also true in our neighborhoods. From McPhersontown to Westwood, Belmont to Madden Hills, Dayton has always had a wide variety of housing stock and neighborhoods with very different personalities. Dayton has always been a mosaic of unique neighborhoods differing in character, assets and challenges,â Whaley said. âOur neighborhoods offer so much potential for Daytonâs future. But, as I have mentioned before, a mayor is needed to champion these efforts and to communicate and connect these possibilities and opportunities. After all, we are creating a road map for Dayton - that connects and leverages the assets and hard work that has already begun for our city.â
Getting rid of vacant homes and building new ones is only a portion of Nan Whaley's vision for thriving Dayton neighborhoods she says its also very important to give the people of each specific Dayton neighborhood a voice.
"It's a set of priorities and there's five principles in the plan," she said.
Those five principles:
-Providing Excellent City Services
-Maintaining a Safe Neighborhood Environment
-Fighting Property Abandonment and Blight
-Promoting Neighborhood Uniqueness
-Connecting Our Neighborhoods
"It's about creating partnerships with the neighborhoods making sure housing inspectors view themselves as project managers to make sure that their neighbors have a say on what kind of standard they want in their community," she said.
But her opponents say her plan could go even further.
"We need to develop programs that provide housing and tax credits so that people have incentives to rehabilitate their homes," mayoral candidate A.J. Wagner said. "I plan to meet with neighborhood officials once a week every week so that I can hear their concerns."
"Plans are for politicians, solutions are for the people," responded Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell. "Her plan offers no real solution, and the solution is actually really simple. We need to market Dayton as a world-class city to attract people here and if she would promote Dayton and not her own agenda I think we would be a lot further along."
And the people of the neighborhood just want to see progress.
"I'm impressed and delighted that they are trying to do something not only for the west side of Dayton but the city of Dayton," said Howard. "I just hope the city will continue to support the efforts of whoever is mayor."
READ: Vision for Thriving Dayton Neighborhoods
LINK: Nan Whaley's website
Connect with ABC 22/FOX 45 Reporter Wale Aliyu on Facebook and Twitter.