Photo: Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1962. Without trees, you can see how narrow the slope is between the 2 Freeway and adjacent streets, like Allesandro Way (right) and Allesandro St* (left). (Click on photo to enlarge.)
CalTrans plans to cut down all the trees that have made the 2 Freeway more tolerable between the Terminus (at Glendale Blvd) and about Rosebud Ave. What will we get in exchange? More than a quarter mile of sound walls on either side of the freeway through our neighborhood.
The effects of sound walls were never studied in the EIR for the Terminus Project. We discovered sound walls hidden on the maps for every option. The EIR never discussed their impact on our Hillside neighborhood. Sound will likely be amplified for homes higher on the hills since the sound will bounce around in the "canyon effect."
CalTrans will not be planting trees around the walls. The EIR failed to enumerate how many trees would be cut down. When questioned in a public hearing about this fact, CalTrans & MTA officials admitted all the trees and shrubs would be cut down, but could not provide a number (which is required), nor could they say where they would be planting replacement trees, other than not around the sound walls.
Expect an increase in health effects from a decrease in air quality. Considering we just lost nearly 4 acres of trees on the nearby Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, we can't afford to lose any trees in the neighborhood now.
MTA is hosting a community meeting next week regarding the 2 Terminus Redesign:
Community Open House
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
6 - 8 pm
Los Angeles, CA 90026
info: metro.net/sr2
We've written extensively about the 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign. Click here for all our related posts.
*Allesandro Street is misidentified in many of our older photos as "Allesandro Ave." I discovered in my paper files from the 1990s and even earlier, letters from various City departments identifying it as "Allesandro Ave." So I always thought it was "Ave" not "St." It was even "Ave" on a street sign at the corner of Rosebud & Allesandro. That street sign was replaced about 10 years ago. Allesandro Street, or as identified in the above photo as "Ave," should not be confused with Allesandro Way - on the Silver Lake side of the 2 Freeway. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
