Red Car Property: Native Black Walnut Trees Blooming Big Time

Photo: S. Bartron, March 22, 2017.  The large protected native Black Walnut Tree, atop the historic landmark viaduct footings, is blooming big time.  

Riverside & Fletcher: Rainwatch *Updated

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 8, 2014.  There was lots of honking and fishtailing happening at Riverside & Fletcher during a peak drive-time downpour Monday morning. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

We're following the rainfall stats in the Corralitas rain gauge.  

*Updated totals:
September 8, 2014: 0.01"  0.04"
Season to date: 0.07" 0.1"

9-14-14: Our neighbor with the NOAA approved rain gauge, just got back to me with updated rainfall total.  For such small amounts, my rain gauge is not so precise.

Red Car Property: Stormwatch, First Rain of The Season

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 3, 2014.  A Red Shouldered Hawk stood watch over Riverside Drive & the 5 Freeway Sunday morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)  

We're tracking rain in the Corralitas rain gauge.  The official season started July 1.
August 2 - 3, 2014: 0.06"
Season to date: 0.06" 
2013-2014 Season total: 7.55" (That's a big drought.) 

Corralitas Drive: Stalled Development Update, Corralitas Pits Of Doom

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 10, 2011.  Since breaking ground in 2006, the Corralitas Pits of Doom are living up to their name.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

More than five years in stop & start construction, 2463 & 2467 Corralitas Drive have given so much to the neighborhood: crime, illegal billboard, dumping, graffiti, unscreened utility hook-ups, collapsing public staircase, ugly rooftops and of course, the ever popular Pits of Doom.  The Pits of Doom were finally filled in October 2010.  On and off the market since early 2008, it's no wonder neighbors still call the two houses, the Corralitas Pits of Doom.

And speculators developers wonder why neighbors get so hostile when they swear they'll complete a project?

See also:

All the Corralitas Pits of Doom posts

The Legacy of Failed Development 

Ugly Rooftop Watch

Elysian Park: Crows Enjoy The View

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 23, 2011. The trail above the 5 Freeway affords stunning views of the Home Depot parking lot and the 5 Freeway, and the LA River between the two. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Pits of Doom: Actual Progress!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 10, 2010. Last week, a big pile of rocks was delivered to 2463 & 2467 Corralitas Drive and soil compaction began. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Almost exactly two years since a neighbor accidentally discovered the Corralitas Pits of Doom, work began to backfill and compact soil and finish the retaining walls at 2463 & 2467 Corralitas Drive. While construction of the homes began in August 2006, the Corralitas Pits of Doom had no protective covering since spring 2008. The neighbor discovered his dog in the bottom of a pit in October 2008. Luckily the dog was unhurt.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2010. Concrete was poured into a drainage swale and the retaining wall.

For the past two years, we documented the lack of action on the Pits of Doom, sending routine updates to CD13. This was an enormous failing of Building & Safety to do their job and protect the public from falling into the Pits of Doom from the uneven Corralitas Public Staircase.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 14, 2010. Soil compaction continued. Two weeks ago, there was still a good 12-foot drop from the Corralitas Public Staircase into the Pits of Doom (where these workers are standing).

Now, if Building & Safety would only enforce the rule on shielding rooftop equipment in Hillside Areas...see Ugly Rooftop Watch.

See all our Corralitas Pits of Doom posts.

Ugly Rooftop Watch: Menlo Property

Photo: August 13, 2009. Rooftop of Sam Menlo-owned, 157-unit, Riverglen Apts. at Riverside Dr. & Glendale Blvd. Hyperion Bridge is in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Is there any wonder why screening of rooftop equipment should be mandatory for all construction in and around Designated Hillside Areas?

Expect a public hearing in January for the zone variance and application to build 120 units on the Menlo Property. The City Planning Advisory Agency case was continued in July.

Staircase Hikers: Beware The Corralitas Pits of Doom

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 2, 2009. The handrail only covers the first two segments of the Corralitas Public Staircase. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

If you're taking "The Big Parade" hike through Corralitas on Saturday, July 18: BEWARE THE CORRALITAS PITS OF DOOM. There are no handrails beyond the first two flights of stairs. There is a good 10' drop off the side of the public staircase to the Pits of Doom below.

More than a year ago, the developer of 2463 & 2467 Corralitas Drive abandoned work on two big stucco boxes adjacent to the Corralitas Public Staircase. In October 2008, a neighbor discovered his missing dog at the bottom of one of the dozen 3' diameter, 8 - 12' deep holes, right next to the public staircase, covered only by a disintegrating blue tarp. Fortunately, the dog was unhurt.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 15, 2009. The Corralitas Pits of Doom are between the Corralitas Public Staircase & the sage-colored stucco box. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

After Building & Safety issued an Order to Comply, the builder covered the Corralitas Pits of Doom with plywood. However, Building & Safety never enforced the Order to Comply to fence the dangerous site.

Work was supposed to be completed on the developer's planned retaining wall by June 30, 2009. No work has occurred since they covered the Pits of Doom in October 2008. Nor has the brush been cleared. The property line goes almost to the top of the public staircase. The dead bamboo is another bonus.

City Planning Revising "Hillside Area" Definition: Community Meeting May 13

Photo: Diane Edwardson August 6, 2008. City Planning wants to remove Allesandro Elementary School from the "Hillside Area." (Click on photo to enlarge.)

City Planning is making code amendments affecting Hillside Neighborhoods with minimal public outreach and review. It is removing certain areas from the Hillside Area to enable parts of the Hillside Mansionization Ordinance. However, the lots removed from the Hillside Area appear to be carved with a scalpel at the behest of developers' and LAUSD lobbyists.

Why should you care about City Planning esoterica?
It might affect your views and increase density in your neighborhood.

In the Red Car Property Neighborhood, City Planning wants to remove Allesandro Elementary School from the Hillside Area. City Planning argues the school property is a big flat site, fronting on Riverside Drive. Ivanhoe Elementary is also on a flat lot, but Ivanhoe is not being removed from the Hillside Area.

Allesandro Elementary is bordered on 3 sides by substandard Hillside Streets. Glen Eden is the only access road to this very dense neighborhood (with lot sizes as small as 800 sq ft). Many of the neighborhood streets are subject to Red Flag No Parking Days. The entire neighborhood between the Red Car Property and Allesandro Elementary already feels the burden of parents commandeering the neighborhood streets, while dropping off and picking up their kids. If you live on India, Riverside Place, Riverside Terrace, and Silver Lake Ave., you should be concerned.

If you live on parts of Lake View Ave. overlooking Allesandro Elementary, you should be concerned too. Your views could be affected.

LAUSD recently submitted plans to build housing on site of a Glassell Park school. Removing Allesandro Elementary from Hillside would make it easier for LAUSD to gain extra units, build taller and reduce parking for any new residential construction.

Removing the Hillside designation would also raise the threshold for number of units triggering a site plan review by the public, further reducing pubic input on development proposals.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2004. Glendale Blvd., as seen from Waverly, is slated for removal from designated Hillside Area. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Residents of Lake View Ave. and Silver Ridge Ave. who have a view of Silver Lake Reservoir should be concerned. Parts of Glendale Blvd roughly between Silver Lake Blvd and Fletcher are slated for removal from Hillside designation. Again, increased density, increased building height, reduced parking and loss of views are potential impacts on the neighborhood.

In response to Eastside community activists outcry over the lack of public outreach by City Planning, City Councilmember Eric Garcetti's staff (CD13) requested City Planning hold an community meeting on this side of town, at a reasonable time for the public to attend.

Hillside Code Amendments Follow-up Meeting

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Glassell Park Community/Senior Center/CD13 Field Office
(In the Public Storage Building)
3750 Verdugo Road.
Glassell Park

Directions from the Red Car Property Neighborhood: Take the 2 Freeway North to Verdugo Rd. exit - go straight off the exit, into the Public Storage Parking Lot - parking in rear. Do not attempt to drive around the block.

City Planning has been quietly revising all manner of codes with minimal public review. See "Jane Usher Slams Gail Goldberg," by Steven Leigh Morris, in the April 29, LA Weekly.

Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Urban Design & Preservation Advisory Committee (SLNC UD&PAC) will be attending this meeting, rather than their regularly scheduled committee meeting.

Riverside & Fletcher: What's With The Blank Billboards?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 24, 2009. The billboard above, used to be owned by CBS Media, it's ownership sign disappeared last summer. It's been blank for much of the past year. It's in City Council District 4. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 24, 2009. Similarly, the Clear Channel billboard is blank more often than it has advertising on it. A few weeks ago, they put up a black panel on the board. It's in City Council District 13. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 18, 2009. Riverside Drive is a Designated Scenic Highway in the Silver Lake - Echo Park - Elysian Valley Community Plan. Fletcher is not. Both billboards are on Fletcher. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

2 Freeway Terminus EIR is Coming!

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 9, 2008. Typical morning commute on the 2 Freeway at the Rosebud Ave. overcrossing and Corralitas Drive, shot from the top of the Corralitas Staircase. The Semi-Tropic Spiritualists' Tract is the hillside across the freeway. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) sent out word the State Route 2 Terminus Improvement Project's Draft Environmental Impact Report would be released in mid-October and the public would have 45 days to review it.

To mark the EIR draft release, we'll look at the history of the neighborhood surrounding the 2 Freeway in October on the Corralitas Red Car Property Blog, illustrated with lots of photos from neighbors dating back to 1922.

The MTA and CalTrans have been talking about redesigning the 2 Terminus at Glendale Blvd. for years. The Silver Lake and Echo Park communities overwhelmingly prefer "Alternative D," which would create an additional 5 acres of public park at Lasorda Field of Dreams.

When questioned directly regarding the impact of all the proposed designs, including the "do nothing" option, MTA and CalTrans officials admitted we would see an increase in southbound traffic on our section of the 2 Freeway, no matter which alternative was chosen. So support Alternative D, at least we get something in return for increased air and noise pollution in our neighborhood.

Review all of the alternatives on the MTA's website.

Ugly Rooftop Watch, Riverside Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 5, 2008. Riverside Drive duplex. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The view from the Red Car Property of the most recently constructed duplex on Riverside Drive, just south of the Arco Station, includes unshielded rooftop HVAC equipment. Although, compared to the two newly constructed houses on Corralitas Drive, this rooftop blends in with the view of the 5 Freeway, billboards and industrial rooftops.

Illegal Billboard on Corralitas Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 7 2008. Technically this is an unpermitted billboard
at 2467 Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

If you have to resort to signs this large, perhaps it's time to drop the asking price. But then, this is one of the two new stucco boxes in a hole next to the freeway, highlighted earlier in Ugly Rooftop Watch and below.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 26, 2008. A view of the rooftop styling for 2467 and 2463 Corralitas Drive from the adjacent public staircase. The 2 Freeway is in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Dr. Ugly Rooftop Watch Part 3

Photo: Edwardson, 3-28-08. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

There is no excuse for architects to design new construction without giving thought to where the air conditioner will go. In urban hillside development, someone is almost always looking down on your rooftop. The photo above is shot from the front porch of the house across the street. While owners of older hillside homes may have no other choice of where to put their HVAC, there is no excuse for unscreened rooftop equipment on new construction.

Corralitas Dr. Ugly Rooftop Watch Part 2

Photo: Edwardson, March 10, 2008. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Perhaps the architect of these two newly constructed homes on Corralitas Drive just had a fetish for the 1985 Terry Gilliam movie, Brazil.

A close-up view

Ugly Rooftop Watch Part 1

Part 3

Intersection of Riverside & Fletcher Drive

Above: Photographer unknown. After 1927.

All photos shot from Red Car Property facing intersection of Fletcher & Riverside Drive. Chevron Station in midground; Atwater and Glendale in background.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Above: Antonio Futterer, Holyland Exhibit, Silver Lake. 1960, during 5 Freeway construction.

Above: Edwardson, 2001

Corralitas Drive Ugly Rooftop Watch

Photos: Edwardson, 2007. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Fifteen homes, the size and scale of these two under construction on Corralitas Drive, are proposed for the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists’ Garden Lots. The Semi-Tropic lots are just across the 2 Freeway from Corralitas. Building & Safety doesn’t seem to enforce the rule about screening rooftop equipment.

Part 2

Part 2, close-up

Part 3