Kirkwood Wish List

1) “People keep doing graffiti on the Living Walls mural on DeKalb Avenue and I always see the same person cleaning it up. My thing would be more neighborhood art, like Cabbagetown, and people maintaining the existing murals.” — Mike Walden, 31, project manager, Kirkwood homeowner

2) “We’d both like to see more thriving independent restaurants and boutiques in downtown Kirkwood.” — Mandy Gee, 32, membership manager for a local running club, and husband, Ben Worley, 34, marketing manager in the beverage industry, Kirkwood homeowners

3) “The area is ripe and ready for revitalization. There is room for more growth business-wise. We’ve been in a holding pattern now for a long time, longer that it should be. I wish that the process for getting a building permit were smoother, more inviting in terms of, ‘We’ve got a business that wants to open or expand and let’s not make it hard.’ Decatur does a great job with that; Avondale Estates does a great job with promoting that growth. We’ve got several projects in the area in a holding pattern because of the process that this city chooses to take on.” — Marchet Sparks, 40, owner Le Petit Marché, Kirkwood resident

4) “One word: sidewalks. Aside from murals and art, new homeowners coming to most neighborhoods in Atlanta are faced with the deteriorated sidewalks that need to be improved. This is a major quality of life issue and most people do not understand that the sidewalks in front of their house is their responsibility to maintain and fix. The city of Atlanta’s job is to enforce the homeowner to fix the sidewalk and are only responsible to fix right-of-way issue like a tree growing out of the sidewalk, etc. This enforcement has been ineffective and the city has been working on changing its sidewalk laws but it is doubtful that any law change will happen. In the meantime, it has been trying to enforce the current code with the homeowners to no avail and is exploring other ways like issuing a bond to mitigate the problem. Last year the city paid out millions in sidewalk lawsuits. ... When you see a neighborhood with good sidewalks you say to yourself, ‘I want to live there,’ because you know people care. It just gives you a feeling of safeness and pride to see complete sidewalks and know you are able to walk down the street without dodging cars.” — Ryan Marosy, 31, 2011 & 2012 President Kirkwood Neighbors Organization

5) “It has always been my hope to see some progress on the historic Pullman Yard on Rogers Street. It has been state-owned since I got here in 2000, and has mostly been a blighted, fenced-in compound. The scale of the properties and buildings is massive, and it would be an ideal place for this community to use as park and green space. I really like the concept Atlanta Contact Point is pursing, to convert the property into fitness-oriented playing fields and park areas for the community.” — Brendan Butler, 41, owner Kirkwood re-Cycle bike shop/garden designer, Kirkwood resident