Thursday, May 10, 2012

Red Car Canyon: It Takes Effort To Dump Here, Even More Effort To Get It Cleaned Up

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 9, 2012.  As of 3 days ago, it looks like someone cleaned out their garage and drove way onto the Red Car Property and dumped it in the most hidden place possible.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

It's bad enough downed trees from last December's windstorm are already tinder dry and causing sleepless nights for neighbors.  When things get dumped here, they don't get picked up.  It's private property and well hidden from the street.  The entire canyon is a big mess right now. I guess Red Car Property neighbor & City Councilmember Eric Garcetti doesn't walk here anymore. 

Last month, neighbors from Riverside Place, Lake View Ave & Corralitas Drive met with deputies from Garcetti's office to show them the very serious fire danger in Red Car Canyon.  We agreed that we should wait until May for resolution (with the dead trees) so brush clearance would not be done before the April rainstorms.  It's May now.  The last time the trees were trimmed in Red Car Canyon was in 2008.
Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, May 9, 2012.  Vandiveer said there is trash "strewn along the canyon but those are the two big piles. I imagine the truck was overflowing and the bumpy ride sent loads off of it as it found a 'convenient' place to dump."

It takes effort to dump here, but it takes even more effort to get it cleaned up.

City Lot Cleaning only seems to pick up the dumping if it's near a road (and after you call a dozen times).  With the LAFD's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, you would think the Fire Dept has jurisdiction over vacant Hillside lots. They do not in our part of town, because City Lot Cleaning refuses to turn over the lots to the Fire Dept. But come on, if built lots have to clear their lots of fire hazards, so should vacant lot owners.