Presidents Message

For the past several years, the Lincoln Central Board of Directors has established priorities early in the year to focus our efforts in a unified direction. At our February meeting, we finalized our priorities for 2007.

Grow our membership from 250 members to over 300.
Publish 2 newsletters in 2007.
Manage our expenses to again produce positive cash flow for the year.
Work to achieve passage of an ordinance to bring backyards back to Lincoln Central.
Update and improve our web page.
Increase our broadcast email list by at least 20%.
Coordinate at least 1 fundraising event to generate at least $2,500.
Establish one new open space improvement project.
Recruit new volunteers to join our Board and to join our zoning, finance and publications committee.

The two priorities that affect the community the most are the backyard ordinance and the open space improvement project. We have been working with Alderman Daley for some time now to draft language in a proposed zoning change that would eliminate the raised backyards and tall breezeways from our neighborhood. We feel it is important to a community to have some open space in backyards that allows for adequate drainage, allows for large trees to be planted and to minimize the impact on decreased light in neighbors backyards. We expect the ordinance to be introduced this spring.

Our open space project last year was to redo the parkway on the north side of Bauler Playground. We still have some ground cover to be installed this spring, but overall that project is completed. We now are looking at what we could do to improve the open space on the NW corner of North and Larrabee. We have assisted in the maintenance of this area for the past several years, but feel this area could look so much better. Should it be returned to an open prairie look? Should we fill it with trees? First we need the money to work on this. Our goal is that by the end of 2007, we have collected enough funds to at least start some improvements to that area.

If you have other suggestions regarding what Lincoln Central should work on in 2007, let us know. We are always open to suggestions and look forward to hear your comments.

FROM THE PRESIDENT