Red Car Property: Still Waiting For Brush Clearance

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, May 15, 2017.  Native Jimsonweed is holding its own among the tall, dry, non-native, invasive weeds on the south end of the Red Car Property.  

Still no sign of brush clearance by the property owner.

Corralitas Red Car Property: Why Does The Red Car Property Owner Get away With Not Doing Brush Clearance By May 1?

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 28, 2017.  When the dry weeds are taller than your dog, it's time to do the brush clearance.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Seems like every year we have to bitch about the fact the Red Car Property owner doesn't do the brush clearance by May 1 like the rest of the Hillside homeowners are required to do.

If you look closely at the small dirt slope in the background, that's where there was a 40' tall wall of trees (with some 80' tall Eucalyptus) separating Corralitas Drive and the Red Car Property from the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway, prior to the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  CalTrans used the fire as an excuse to cut down all the trees, including the trees that did not burn in the fire.  As a result, Corralitas Drive is hotter, dirtier drier and more dangerous than ever before.

Last year, we documented the hazard with photos sent to CD13 and LAFD Brush Clearance Unit prior to the fire.  Unfortunately, we were unable to post here in the month prior to the fire.

Neighbors, report your brush clearance concerns about the Red Car Property to CD13 Deputy: Hector.Vega@lacity.org and LAFD: LAFDBrush@lacity.org

Click here for all our brush clearance posts.

Red Car Property: Dead Eucalyptus & Dry Brush On Lot C, Adjacent Streets

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016. We documented the quick demise of the huge Eucalyptus on the  upper part of the slope in 2015.  It's in an Adelbert backyard, adjacent to the Red Car Property.  The lower dead Eucalyptus died a few months later.  It's on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  A third and even larger Eucalyptus died this year within the Silver Lake Court, a public right-of-way.   High voltage lines appear to pass through the Eucalyptus adjacent to the dead tree.  A City crew cleared brush from the paper street months ago, but left the tree.

Silver Lake Court is a City "paper street," west of and adjacent to the Red Car Property.  Worth noting, in the 2003, failed 75 home development application for the Red Car Property, this was identified as the "open space lot."  The open space lot included the slope contained by a giant retaining wall.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 16, 2016.  The stand of dead trees is on the Red Car Property's Lot C, at India Street.  They are directly below power lines.  The trees died in 2013.  We don't know why this is acceptable to LAFD Brush Unit or LADWP.  We submit photos of them every year to the Brush Unit.  

During the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire, neighbors on Roselin, and Riverside Dr, upslope from this location, witnessed 6 - 8" burning embers flying by their houses.

As of today, neighbors report no brush clearance has occurred on the Red Car Property, other than the previously mentioned clearance around the construction fence.  One neighbor reported seeing a LAFD Fire Marshall drive in and out of the property north of India Street yesterday.

Silver Lake Court: Dead Eucalyptus In Power Lines

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 15, 2015.  The most recent dead Eucalyptus above the Red Car Property, may either be on private property for an adjacent home or the paper street of Silver Lake Court.  Either way, it is up against the power lines and should be removed.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Click here for all our dead tree posts.

Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School: Revised Proposed Conditional Use Permit At Neighborhood Council Meeting, Wed, Oct 14

*Update

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 7, 2015.  Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School has been on Lake View Ave since 1946.  They've been operating a school in a residential zone without, and in direct violation of their last Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the City for the last 28 years.  The school will present their revised proposed CUP to the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council this Wednesday. 

Silver Lake Neighborhood Council 

Urban Design & Preservation Advisory Committee

(SLNC UD&PAC)

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

6:30 PM 

Citibank Community Room

2450 Glendale Blvd 

Silver Lake 90039

Click here for agenda

The current proposed CUP is a compromise reached after a 4+ hour long meeting, outdoors on an extremely hot and humid day, between a number of neighbors and Rose Scharlin families and their consultant. 

*Changes include 2 fundraisers a year on the property; use of the property 8:30 am -  2:30pm, 3 days a week, until 4:30 PM or 5 PM, 2 days a week*; use of the property on one Saturday a month, every month; a second Saturday every other month; and potentially (due to the way it's now worded) up to 3 Saturdays a month in 3 of those months because of the fundraisers and graduation.  Limits on noise and amplified music still need some clarification for the "canyon effect."  

If you want to know more, attend the meeting.  

*Update 1PM: There seems to be some discrepancies in the 2 weekday afternoon, Saturday and fundraiser hours.  The devil is in the details.  The details are always important.

Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School: Meeting Reminder

Rose Scharlin Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Update
 Neighborhood Meeting

Saturday, September 26, 2015

 1-3 PM  

Rose Scharlin Nursery School

2414 Lake View Ave 
children are welcome

At the request of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Urban Design & Planning Advisory Committee (SLNC UD&PAC), City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (CD13) and the City Planning Zoning Administrator, Rose Scharlin is holding this meeting (after they've heard from the neighbors at 4 previous meetings) to review some revisions they are proposing to their Conditional Use Permit (which expired 28 years ago).  They sent around some revisions via email 25 hours prior to the meeting. So you should attend if you want to know more.

Rose Scharlin Nursery School: Public Hearing Postponed, Community Meeting Next Saturday

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 7, 2015.  The school's lack of a parking lot, originally encouraged a more neighborhood oriented school.   (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School had a City Zoning Administration public hearing for their Conditional Use Permit (CUP) scheduled for yesterday.  Apparently, the Dept of Zoning Administration did not receive their request to postpone the hearing in a timely manner.  However, the hearing examiner granted their request to postpone the hearing.  

The hearing examiner also took verbal testimony from 4 of the 7 neighbors who attended the hearing in City Hall.   He also noted the department had received numerous letters/emails from neighbors.  He said none opposed the school outright, all expressed need for additional scrutiny and changes.   City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell's planning deputy, Amy Ablakat reiterated that fact, saying CD13 received many of those letters and emails and delivered them to Zoning Administration before the public hearing.  Ablakat also requested a delay of the public hearing so the school could work with the neighbors to reach consensus on the proposed conditions. CD13 field deputy Adam Bass was also present.

The hearing examiner granted the school's request for a 60 day postponement of the public hearing.  (That should put a public hearing right around Thanksgiving.)  He also said the file would remain open during those 60 days for the public to review and send further comments.

Wednesday, Rose Scharlin Community sent an email to their neighborhood email list saying they would conduct another community meeting to discuss the CUP with the neighbors.  A member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Urban Design & Preservation Advisory Committee offered to facilitate the meeting so no one felt they were being treated unfairly.

Rose Scharlin CUP Neighborhood Outreach Meeting

Saturday, September 26, 2015

 1-3 PM  

Rose Scharlin Nursery School

2414 Lake View Ave 

 

Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase: Time To Repaint The Red Curb At Lake View Ave

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 24, 2015. You have to wonder, would the same driver park the truck blocking a public street intersection?  Yes, the truck is parked facing the wrong way.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase at the intersection of Lake View Ave has no sidewalk.  The red curb is badly faded.  However a City street sign marks the public staircase at Lake View.

Report faded red curbs to the LA City Dept of Transportation (DOT).  Unfortunately, DOT does not acknowledge the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase between the Red Car Property and Lake View or Silver Ridge on their map.  (Yet it appears on ZIMAS, LAFD, County Assessor and DWP maps).  So I was unable to submit the request online.  Good luck getting the curb repainted since the DOT staff answering the phone will be looking at the same map available online.  

And we wonder why our public staircases are so neglected?  

Red Car Property: Cooper's Hawk

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 10, 2015.  I followed the sounds of pissed off mockingbirds to a Cooper's Hawk in the big Eucalyptus between India and Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 10, 2015.  The image quality is not great.  I so rarely catch photos of Cooper's Hawks, that I have to publish them when I can.  

I suspect it's a juvenile Cooper's Hawk since it doesn't have well developed chest muscles.  And adults usually don't take crap from 6 mockingbirds at the same time.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 10, 2015.  The lighting and tree conditions were so tough to work with but this was such a great shot of its talons that I had to use it. 

Look for Cooper's Hawks hunting for birds in the corridor between Riverside Place and Silver Ridge and the Silver Lake Ave and Roselin Public Staircases. They prefer heavily wooded areas like Red Car Canyon and the steep slope between Silver Ridge and Lake View. 

Learn more about Cooper's Hawks: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
 

Red Car Property & Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase: Red Tailed Hawk

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2015.  A Red Tailed Hawk took refuge from the momentarily heavy rain last Thursday, in a very large, dense Eucalyptus in a Lake View Ave backyard, directly adjacent to the Silver lake Ave Public Staircase and the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

What is impressive about this photo is that I found the hawk at all in the tree.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2015.  The red arrows are pointing to the hawk in the tree.  I did not move from the same spot, just south the public staircase on the Red Car Property, to shoot the first photo.  It's just zoomed in using my little point & shoot Nikon. 

Honestly, while I was shooting I had no idea what kind of predatory bird it was.  It could have been Great Horned Owl, Red Tailed Hawk or Red Shouldered Hawk.  It looked too large to be a Cooper's Hawk, but they are known to hunt the corridor between Roselin and Riverside Place.  Shoot (photos) first.  Ask questions later.  

I only found the bird because the Mockingbirds were harassing it so badly while dive-bombing it.  Just follow the Mockingbirds.  

Roselin Public Staircase: First Cooper's Hawk Photo of 2015

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 17, 2015.  The Cooper's Hawk has a long horizontally striped tail, small head and beak.  They are a "forest hawk," flying through the dense trees to hunt birds as their primary prey.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

While walking the Red Car Property near India St, I heard the annoyed, dive-bombing calls of mockingbirds threatening a predator.  I watched to see where they were focused and saw a hawk way up in a tree near the top of the Roselin Public Staircase.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 17, 2015.  Red arrow is pointing to the Cooper's Hawk in the tree. When I shot these photos, I had no idea it was a Cooper's Hawk.  I thought it was a Red Tailed Hawk, because it seemed kind of large for a Cooper's.  However, we do have some large Cooper's Hawks around the Red Car Property.

I've often heard Cooper's Hawks in the dense trees at the top of Roselin.  I've also seen them raiding birds' nests on Riverside Place, then retreating up to the trees on Roselin. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 17, 2015. I only noticed it was a Cooper's Hawk while I editing the day's photos.  Cooper's Hawks are not yet endangered, but their presence triggers extra environmental review and mitigations in development applications under CEQA. 

Click here for all our Cooper's Hawk posts.  

Learn more about Cooper's Hawks: Cornell Lab of Ornithology 
 

Red Car Propery: Sunset Over "Lot C"

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 30, 2014.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Lot C: Coyote Spooked

All photos: Chad Ferrin, May 18, 2014, around 6:30 AM.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Ferrin writes in an email, "Heard some crows cawing and saw [the coyote] run up the hill in front of my house."

"He waited for a man and his unleashed pit bull to walk past,

then disappeared."  It looks like the big male has seen a few fights from the scrapes in his coat.

You know it's a male from the thick neck.  (Nice of him to pause near the Red Car Property line marker.)

That's the property line marker from the early part of the last century.  It marks the line between Lot C (in the foreground) & Silver Lake Court (the paper street upslope and out of sight).  The concrete marker is near the Roselin Public Staircase

Early morning seems to be prime time for coyotes on the Red Car Property around India and Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase.

Red Car Property: ALERT! Coyote Playtime

All photos: Chad Ferrin, May 6, 2014, around 6:30 AM.  A pair of coyotes were playing on the Red Car Property, just south of India. Ferrin captured an incredibly dog-like playtime in a series of photos. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It looks like a male and female; the male is considerably larger, with a thicker neck, larger head & fluffy tail.  According to Google search of "coyote mating season:" mating season is January -  March, so this appears to just be play.

Ferrin reports, they played quietly with no barking or calling.

Thanks again to Chad Ferrin for sharing this incredible series of photos with us!

This is a reminder to keep your dogs on a leash.  Do not leave your small children or animals unattended in your yard.  Don't feed wildlife.  If you feed your pets outside, pick up the bowls as soon as they're done.  Keep your trash & recycle bins tightly closed.  Don't let contractors just toss their lunch  trash in a pile in your yard or on the Red Car Property.  

Learn more about coyote behavior, management: UC Davis

City wildlife policy/program: Los Angeles Animal Services, Wildlife Program

Click here for all our coyote posts.

Red Car Property Neighborhood: Great Training For The Big Parade

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2011.  The Loma Vista Public Staircase is known as the "Mother of All Staircases." 

The Big Parade, the 35-mile, 100+ public staircase hike from Downtown to the Hollywood Sign is scheduled for May 31 - June 1, 2014.  The Mt Washington warmup hike is May 30.

Our neighborhood is great training ground as, according to Alex Pudlin, we have 5 of the 10 public staircases with the most steps in Silver Lake.  (He counts either side of Loma Vista in Silver Lake as separate staircases - like once you go all the way up, you're not going to go down the other side?!)  Those 5 public staircases are Earl, Loma Vista West 1 & 2, Oak Glen** & Corralitas.  There are also a bunch of other public staircases* and public walkways that link to the Red Car Property, creating a great urban trail through the neighborhood.

Read about Pudlin's charts: The Eastsider
Take a Hike: The Big Parade

*Pudlin understandably misidentifies a couple of our public staircases: India is actually Roselin & Silver Ridge is in fact Silver Lake Ave.  
**I suspect the Oak Glen Stairs are actually the Edendale Place Public Staircase accessed via Fair Oak View Terrace. You'll just have to go for a hike and find out.  But nonetheless - he created a great chart of Silver Lake's public staircases. 

Lot C Adjacent: Haunted Houses, Some Things Never Change

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, March 10, 2014.  It looks like some work was done on the haunted house above the Red Car Property's Lot C, prior to Building & Safety issuing a stop work order due to the lack of permits.  The haunted house is responsible for the bin & trash chute we've talked about recently.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 12, 2013.  it looks like they took out the broken glass & the ripped plastic.  Wow that's progress. 

The piles of wood in the foreground may be apart of another house's backyard; not the haunted house's yard.  In years past, Building & Safety issued orders to comply issued to clean up both their lots.   The orders sat open on the Building & Safety website for years before they were considered resolved.  Maybe Building & Safety was confused & couldn't find these homes from their street addresses. (The yard in the foreground was cleaned up considerably a few years ago - so that order to comply must have finally spurred them to action.) 

When your property backs into Lot C, the tendency is to treat it like a trash pit.  As one neighbor put it, "The Red Car is a lawless place."

Lawless Lot C: Trash Chute & Bin Remain

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, October March 10, 2014.  Lawless Lot C continues to live up to its name.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Word has it the Red Car Property owner did not give permission for the property owner above to use the Red Car Property for the trash chute or bin.  Building & Safety permits seem to be lacking too.

Large trucks that haven't moved in years are also still parked further north in the photo.

Lot C: Mudwatch

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, February 12, 2014.  Neighbors downslope from the rogue trash chute on Lot C are hoping the major rain storm, forecast for today, doesn't start the most unstable slope on the Red Car Property moving.  This one is a predicable mudslide.

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge.
February 27, 2014: 0.7"
Season to Date:     2.35"

9PM Thursday, February 28, 2014: Red Car Canyon neighbors reported lots of trucks with flashing lights working in the canyon.  It appeared they were pumping out the sewer in the canyon, in a last minute attempt to stave off another flood & predictable mudslide.  Usually they pump the sewers & storm drains on the Red Car Property in October or November.

Red Car Property: "Red Car Line Park? Is This A Scam?"

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, January 25, 2014.  Red Car Canyon: not a park, it just looks like one.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A letter landed in mailboxes of Red Car Property adjacent property owners today claiming to be from "Red Car Line Park" with a gmail address similar to ours & a mailing address in Oakland.  Since about 4pm this afternoon, neighborhood email about it has been non-stop.

Let's look at some facts.

The "Red Car Line Park" group is in NO WAY affiliated with this blog nor Community Residents' Association for Parks (CRAP is a 501c3).  

The letter claims they are working in partnership with the Trust for Public Land.  The property owner has failed to sign an option agreement with the Trust for Public Land since they first listed it for sale back in summer of 2012.

The letter claims to be needing your help in "cleaning the property lines."  In other words they have no idea where the property lines are because there are so many encroachments that have to be cleared so they can show they own the land free & clear of encroachments.  They cannot sell or submit development plans to the City without showing "clear title" to the land. 

The letter even offers to come haul away your fence if it's encroaching on their land. Yet they never seem to be able to paint over graffiti on your fence, pick up dumping & downed trees nor do their own brush clearance. 

Neighbors who received the letter said it looked like a scam.  Several sent me copies & I have to agree.  Just because someone can look up your Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) & access your name & address via public records, in this day of identity theft, you should be reluctant to respond to such a letter.  It doesn't even identify the Red Car Property owner's name & address.  Neighbors are saying it just looks shady.

Trust for Public Land (TPL) has been talking to the Red Car Property owner's rep listed on the letter. 

Without an option agreement with TPL, if the property owner clears up all the encroachments on the land, they do not have to sell to TPL.  Even with an option agreement, when the option expires, they do not have to sell to TPL, but it is a sign of good faith that they are taking the land off the market for a specific amount of time while TPL would do appropriate appraisal to prepare a fair market value bid. 

In 2001, another developer sold the property out from under us when CRAP, in partnership with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), secured a grant to purchase the property.  The difference in price was a mere $40,000 & we were NOT given notice of the impending sale, nor given the opportunity to increase the offer after we worked in a "friendly" manner with that developer on park acquisition.  

Stay tuned.  I put in a call to the Trust for Public Land, since I'm the one getting all the calls. 

This column is strictly meant to enlighten neighbors to recent history.  It was not prepared in cooperation with any of the aforementioned organizations.  Any opinions expressed, are my own or those of your neighbors. It is in no way intended to be legal advice.  If you are concerned about your encroachments, you should seek advice from a real estate attorney.  Anytime you buy a home next to vacant land, there is risk that it will be developed.     
 
Diane Edwardson
24 year Corralitas Drive resident
22 year community leader
redcarproperty@gmail.com

One Red Car Canyon neighbor said in a group email, "My feeling is wait till TPL and the owner have reached a deal on the sale of the property. Otherwise you're just helping them clean up their property for sale to anyone including developers."

Read the long development history of the Red Car Property.

Editor's note: Our recent hiatus from daily posting has nothing to do with this recent news, it is an unfortunate coincidence. 

Lot C: "The Red Car Is A Lawless Place"

Photo: February 6, 2014.  A number of concerned neighbors are questioning whether this construction site (north of India St) even has active permits because the entire slope on which the staircase/trash chute is built on is well known  as the most unstable slope on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The slope from about level of the chain link fence down is a part of the Red Car Property, "Lot C."  A check of Building & Safety's website indicates no active permits for any of the adjacent properties.  It's hard to tell if it's for a house on Roselin or Adelbert. 

The Adelbert Landslide Zone runs through this portion of the Red Car Property.

Lot C is well known for its anything goes lifestyle.  Red Car Property owners have never shown much interest in cleaning up the ongoing problems or broken windows here.

One of the neighbors who passed the site this morning commented, "The Red Car [Property] is a Lawless Place."