Monday, August 18, 2014

Red Car Property: It's Still A Lawless Place; Neighbors Cutting Down Native Tree, Dumping & More

Photo: Red Car Neighbor #1, August 15, 2014.  Friday morning, neighbors were alarmed at the sound of chainsaws coming from the Red Car Property, particularly when one discovered a neighbor in the process of cutting down a healthy, protected native Southern California Black Walnut Tree on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Red Car Neighbor #2, August 15, 2014.  Neighbors asked what they could do to prevent this from happening in the future.  Here's a piece from Enviro Defenders & The Sierra Club: Protecting Native Trees
Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 17, 2014.  The City's Urban Forestry Division issues permits for removal of protected native trees*.  In this case, the Black Walnut Tree was definitely on the Red Car Property, behind Rose Scharlin Preschool.  There's also a new encroachment of stairs next door.

Those are just the latest problems.  Here's a review of the long since existing problems...
Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 17, 2014.  Trash chute (for an abandoned construction site) still in place since it first appeared in February.
Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2014.  Adelbert Dumphouse, it's only gotten worse.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 17, 2014.  Then there are all the parked vehicles, some of which have not moved in years, dumping & storage of crap on Lot C.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 16, 2014.  This pile of dumping had collected for years behind one neighbor's house.  Last month, someone moved it behind another neighbor's house.  Really?  Just haul it to the dump at that point.  The City is not going to come onto private property to pick it up.  

In the meantime, other neighbors have gone out of their way to paint out graffiti & pick up trash on the Red Car Property, only to have their efforts undermined by their neighbors.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014.  Back in February a graffiti artist decided to paint the historic landmark viaduct footings without permission from the property owner nor the City's Cultural Heritage Commission.

Oh yeah, brush clearance within 100' of structures (including combustible fences) was not done this year, unless a neighbors took it upon themselves to clear the brush from the area near their homes.

The Red Car Property is a lawless place.  If neighbors don't respect it, how can we expect anyone else to?

*Los Angeles Protected Native Tree Ordinance: 177404