(1) Water source for native plant garden
Provide a watering source near the native plants garden. It's true that native plants need less maintenance, but we aren't done planting yet, and a summer like this one causes big watering problems. Also, we'd like to expand the garden over time.

(2) Fence for native plant garden
Help us install a good looking fence around the native garden. The current wire fence has been useful but it doesn't enhance the area. Ideally the fence would stop soccer balls and dog walkers but provide a nice view inside. It should be gated (preferably two gates) so entry can be made as required, and the gates should be closed in their natural state. Finally (and this may be tricky) it would be good to have a fence that allowed for garden expansions.

(3) Trash cans in park and along Marine Drive
Provide many more black trash cans in Margate Park and along Marine Drive between Lawrence and Foster. On nice weekends or holidays the cans get moved around by picnickers. They are filled to overflowing and then garbage blows around. There are lazy people who just drop their garbage when no can (maybe it's been moved) is readily at hand. After the busy days the cans often remain where they were moved. How about considering some signs that ask people to be responsible in their cleanup, perhaps packing an extra garbage bag to carry out if the cans are swamped? As it is now, the tendency is to disparage the possibility that people can be more responsible and instead just plan for major cleanups on a regular basis. It seems like a point of view that short-changes both the people and the park.

(4) Air conditioning for the field house
The Margate Field House needs an air conditioner installed in the gym and the workout rooms.

(5) Expand the size of Margate Field House
The Margate Field House really needs more space... it runs many popular programs and is often bursting at the seams. The staff (e.g., Supervisor John Davidson) is skilled and dedicated. If the capital for a building expansion needs to wait for a later day, it would be very helpful now to modify the underutilized locker areas in both the men's and women's sections to make more storage space.

(6) Resolve traffic problems on Marine Drive
There is a need for improved traffic control on Marine in the area of Margate Park. Many motorists (including bus and taxi drivers) are negligent about coming to a full stop at the stop signs. They create a situation where an accident is just "waiting to happen," due to the pedestrian use of the crosswalks. Many children (often with no guardian in evidence) themselves go sailing across the intersections. But the children are the far more "fragile crafts" in the collisions that are likely to occur. I've spoken of this problem twice at CAPS meetings where it produces no measurable response from the police. Can we try to take precautions before someone is struck by a vehicle?

(7) Ornamental lights in Park
Continue the nice ornamental lighting through the park north of Lawrence along the asphalt paved paths adjacent to LSD where they currently end. Also extend the running paths adjacent to the asphalt path, as they are south of Lawrence already. The lights and running path should go all the way to Hollywood. Also provide ornamental lighting in Margate Park to replace the current ugly street lights we have.

(8) Better bike and pedestrian paths in park
The circulation in the park is problematic, particularly between Marine Drive and the Argyle underpass. There are unnecessary conflicts between pedestrians and bikes that are created by the placement of benches in relation to bike access of the underpass. We experience this during the summer months and have a hard time getting from Marine Drive to the Argyle underpass. I think the park district needs to study the situation and perhaps designate certain routes as combined bike/pedestrian access routes and these should not have benches along them, or the benches should be located on little sidewalk spurs off the main path (kind of like the seating placed on the concrete circles alongside the bike path at the major east-west streets (I think there's one at Montrose). This would do a lot to prevent conflicts and injury. Folks hang out at the benches with older folks, children, etc.......this is great but they shouldn't be put in harms way by having these gathering spots take over the entire sidewalk, which places pedestrians and bikes on collision courses........it's difficult for the folks hanging out at the bench to predict their children's moves just as it's difficult for the biker to navigate the situation.

(9) Better Bike circulation for north south travel
Most bike circulation in the park is east-west as most folks are accessing the lakefront bike path. There seems to be much less north-south circulation, but this has increased a bit since they put the bump-outs on Marine Drive. We need better bike path circulation for north-south travel.

(10) Noise issues with soccer leagues
There is an issue with the use of Margate Park by the soccer leagues. We would like the park district to limit the use of whistles until after 9 a.m. on weekends. There are 1000's of folks whose bedrooms front on that park (including my building) so there's not reason they need to wake up at 7:30 a.m. to soccer field whistles. Earlier use of the park with loud noise should be limited to the east side of lakeshore drive.

(11) Alley drainage
Alley drainage in the alley between Carmen and Winona. When we have heavy rains the alley is completely filled with water and stays filled with water for several days.

(12) Better street signs
We would like to see a better/more visible street sign at the intersection of Marine Drive and Foster. The current sign is barely visible approaching from Foster because it's fairly far from the intersection and because of the bus stop and trees at the corner.

(13) Sheridan Road Calming and Beautification Project
The Carmen Winona Block Club believes that Sheridan Road needs to be made more pedestrian friendly. We believe that traffic needs to be slowed down and controlled on Sheridan Road so that pedestrians crossing the street can do so in a safer and easier manner, especially the elderly and children who live in the community. We also believe Sheridan Road needs to take on a more residential character south of Foster. We believe a more residential character will encourage business to locate along Sheridan Road; businesses that our community lacks and would very much like see locate in our neighborhood. We also believe a more residential character will bring new residential development, building a larger customer base for the retail shops we would like to see locate to Sheridan Road. A calming and beautification project on Sheridan Road would improve the safety and quality of life for all those who live along and near Sheridan Road.

(14) Argyle Street Streetscape Improvement
Argyle Street is a jewel in the rough in our community. There are very few streets in Chicago that are as special as Argyle Street. While most communities are being over run by national chain stores, Argyle Street continues to be a great source of pride to us all, because it is a street with shops run by local merchants selling unique merchandise that brings people from all over Chicago and the Midwest to shop in and enjoy our neighborhood. It is a very special place in our community and Chicago. However, there are problems with Argyle Street and its success. Argyle Street looks like SKIDROW. In our opinion, it is the worse looking street in the 48th Ward! While improvements have been made to other commercial streets in the 48th Ward, Argyle Street sits and languishes in its run down and decrepit state. Despite the horrible appearance, Argyle Street is a commercial success because of the special and unique shops and merchandise sold there. With this success come traffic problems that are a great burden to the neighborhood. There has been a tremendous community effort over the past 5 to 6 years to improve Argyle Street and deal with the traffic problems. The community has done everything it can to try to improve Argyle Street, but the community can only do so much. It is time that Alderman Smith focuses her full attention and energy on Argyle Street to resolve the traffic issues and the skid row appearance.

(15) Bus Congestion at Foster and Sheridan
We understand that the CTA needs to use the intersection of Foster and Sheridan as a place to change drivers and coordinate their schedules, but there has to be a better way of doing this that would not cause the traffic congestion and danger, noise and pollution that it does. We ask that the Alderman’s office continue to work with the Carmen Winona Block Club and the CTA on improving this situation.

(16) Continued Police Presence on Argyle Street
Residents have mentioned that there still is a drug dealing problem on Argyle Street. One block club member who owns an apartment building has had prospective tenants love her apartments but feel the Argyle L stop is too dangerous. They have said that as they walked down Argyle Street they were offered drugs for sale. We know the police are doing a lot to address and solve this problem and we report this problem at the CAPS meetings, but we still want the Alderman’s office to know that this is an on going issue that comes and goes and is part of the whole problem with Argyle Street. As the police have often said to us, if a neighborhood or community looks like the residents do not care about their neighborhood, they believe that this is the place to do their business.

(17) Continued enforcement of the park curfew
There has been a great improvement with illegal activities occurring in the park over the past several years. We are very pleased with this improvement and ask that all efforts be made to insure that we do not have the problems with illegal activities in the park as we did several years ago. The continued enforcement of the park curfew has been key to making the park a safe place for all.