Main Street Facelift Coming

By Bruce Kettelle

The asphalt jungle of Trotwood’s Main Street will get a little makeover this summer. Plans developed by zoning administrator Carl Dougherty will insert landscaping between the sidewalk and big parking lots dotting the stretch.

For over 50 years commercial centers were built along the Main street east of the trailer park with minimal landscaping requirements. This led to an asphalt jungle feel in the area according to Daugherty.

“This plan calls for five scattered landscape areas to provide a visual breakup of the large parking lots,” Daugherty explained to the city council during a presentation Monday.

Landscaping and grass will be cut into the asphalt in front of the Broadmoor Plaza (Foodtown), Headliners, Trotwood Barbers, Beeber Center (Subways), and Greater Works Plaza (License Bureau).
“This will impact about 1,000 feet of frontage area,” said Daugherty.

In addition to the landscaping new overhead streetlights and pedestrian amenities will be added.
Daugherty said several Main St property owners and the Trotwood Madison Historical Society deemed the design of the new overhead lights acceptable. The teardrop design with scrollwork arms are similar to the lights used in the area during the early 1900s.

Dayton Power and Light will install the metal halide streetlights replacing the existing high pressure sodium lights. Daugherty said the sodium lights have an orange glare people find unappealing. He also expects the new lights will cure some under-illumination issues in the corridor.

The $75,000 cost of the entire project will be paid for from a federal community block grant. The only cost to the city will be an additional $1,248 annually to pay the electric bill for the streetlights. The new total lighting bill for that area will be $8326.

Daugherty hopes to find additional funding to help leverage additional improvements for Main St in the future. He believes these types of improvements will help attract private developers to also invest along Main Street with new residential and commercial projects.