GONDBA Meeting Minutes

3/26/2014

Today's meeting was held at the Kroc Center, with lunch sponsored by Children's hospital.

·        Barry Hall, president, opened the meeting and updated the group. April Walker from Key Bank will be GONDBA's new treasurer. We are still working on establishing the 501c3 status.

·        There was no police report at this meeting, but Barry let the group know that several local repeat offenders, including Russell Mills and Michael Mills, are currently in jail.

·        Jerry Bowling III, president of the McCook Field Neighborhood Association discussed recent activity relating to the Superfund Site. New ground water sampling has been taking place, focusing on previously unsampled wells and the South corner of the Behr/Mahle property. A community action group will be established for stakeholders in the area.

·        Stephanie Leung, from Public Health, Dayton and Montgomery County talked to the group about the Creating Healthy Communities Program, an Ohio Department of Health grant sponsored program that focuses on nutrition information, increasing activity levels and decreasing smoking. Workplace toolkits are available to help businesses with wellness initiatives. Information is available on their website: www.phdmc.org/community/healthy. They can also come to businesses to present information to a group of employees.

·        Andy Badinghaus from CityWide Development thanked all who participated in the wayfinding surveys and introduced our featured speakers 

Featured Speakers: Cathy Fromet and Carrie Moradi from Studio Graphique

·        Cathy and Carrie presented the results of the recent wayfinding survey. Old North Dayton is a mix of industrial manufacturing, small business, healthcare and housing, mostly blue collar inhabitants that serve local industry, both in the past and present. Perceptions include blight, empty building, lack of investment and decreasing property values, however, 60% of the respondents rate the level of recent improvements as good. As to why people come to this area, answers included jobs, affordable housing and Children’s Hospital. The hospital is also a source of pride in the area, along with The Kroc Center and local businesses.

·        Studio Graphique analyzed travel patterns, both in and out of the area, as well as major and minor intersections. The process includes looking at a traveler’s approach, decision points, arrival and departure. They suggest having a “base map” that is consistent across businesses; something that presents a brand of sorts for Old North Dayton. Wayfinding signage options include trailblazer signage, gateway elements, vehicular directional signs, ID signs, banners and branded street signs.

·        Cost projections for the project will look at design and installation as well as maintenance costs. The design and implementation stages will involve different groups at different points along the way. The objective of the process is to understand the area, what assets people are trying to get to, what they are looking for and build a methodology for wayfinding.

·        Look for more information and requests for input to come. Participation from local businesses and residents will be essential to the success of the program.

Barry closed the meeting and encouraged everyone to be involved in this project. Our next meeting will feature Keith Steeber from City of Dayton Division of Civil Engineering.

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