Red Car Property Lot C: More Uncovered Truckloads Of Dirt, Bulldozer Delivery

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 22, 2017.  At 7 AM yesterday, more uncovered truckloads of dirt began arriving for the Riverside Drive construction site, using the Red Car Property north of India Street.  

The motorhome, parked on the Red Car Property with someone living in it, has become a permanent feature of the site since October.

The Red Car Property is not a park, nor is it a city street right of way.  Silver Lake Court is west of the Red Car Property.  This is Lot C north of India Street.  

More than a year ago the architect for the adjacent Riverside Drive 13-unit development told me they would not be using the Red Car Property for deliveries, hauling nor storage of vehicles or equipment or for access to their site. 

They fail to make any attempt to control fugitive dust while driving on the Red Car Property.  That shouldn't be surprising since they also make no attempt at covering the dirt in the truck beds as required by state and city codes.  No haul route was established for the site. The route to this part of the Red Car Property involves hairpin turns on Substandard Hillside Streets that go past the driveways for Allesandro Elementary School. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 22, 2017.  A mini bulldozer arrived early Friday morning too.

Red Car Property, Lot C: Choking On Dirt From Riverside Drive Construction

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 21, 2017.  Dump trucks hauled loads of dirt to and from the Riverside Drive construction site using the dirt roadway of Red Car Property north of India Street today.  The fugitive dust is out of control.  A neighbor reports at least six truck trips before 11 AM today.  They are not supposed to be using the Red Car Property for access, hauling or storing of equipment.  They've been doing all three.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 21, 2017. They are not keeping the dirt roadway sufficiently dampened to control fugitive dust.  In fact, they are not wetting the dirt road at all. They are not covering the truck loads of dirt, nor did they give notice to neighbors for hauling activity.  All of these things are boilerplate requirements by Building & Safety under the Los Angeles Municipal Code.  But then so is having a phone number posted on the construction fence.  It's not posted up here where people live.

Photo: December 21, 2017.  The motorhome (on the other side of the dump truck) has been parked behind the locked fence across the Red Car Property since October.  

The developer has an agreement with the Red Car Property owner to fence off a portion of the Red Car Property during construction of Riverside Drive lots.  The Riverside Drive development supposedly does not include the Red Car Property.

Since the motorhome arrived in October, neighbors report increased vehicle traffic at all hours, to and from the construction site.  The guy who lives in the motorhome uses a car to drive to and from his motorhome, as do his friends.  

According to neighbors, since the motorhome arrived, there's also been an increase of suspicious activity and dumping, north from India Street, on the Red Car Property.  There are also people living in sheds on a historically problematic, Red Car Property adjacent, Riverside Drive property.  

Motorhome usually parked on Allesandro, now behind locked gate above Riverside Dr construction site on Red Car Property @MitchOFarrell pic.twitter.com/HW9uMdLxiV

— Corralitas (@RedCarProperty) October 15, 2017

The Red Car Property is a lawless place.

Corralitas Drive: Construction Hours Until 9PM Monday Through Friday?!

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 21, 2017.  Construction notice is posted at 2608-2610 Corralitas Drive.  Two single family homes are approved for the site situated on a blind hairpin curve adjacent to the Corralitas Public Staircase.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Why does the City allow construction activity in a hillside neighborhood with substandard Hillside streets until 9PM?  

The likely answer is to allow extra time for DIY homeowners who don't have time during weekdays to work on their own homes.  But that is a completely different situation than new home construction or permit-triggering renovations.  

Most construction sites don't work past 6 PM on Corralitas Drive, but why is it even allowed?  Considering parking, limited access and heavy evening traffic on residential Hillside streets in any zone, this is absurd.  Multi-family zoned Hillside streets are even more congested and have bigger parking problems than R1 Hillside neighborhoods.  

If it falls within the Hillside Area, no matter the zone, construction should only be allowed until 6 or 7 PM, M-F.  It doesn't even benefit developers if they have to stop work, move trucks, fences and equipment every time people try to drive up the hill.  

Why is construction allowed on all national holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day?!  Neighbors of this site report the developer will be drilling holes with heavy equipment on Thanksgiving.  No grading, hauling, deliveries or heavy equipment use, associated with construction permits, should be allowed on residential Hillside streets on Saturdays or national holidays. This should include any site where vehicle access is via residential Hillside streets.

Corralitas Drive has suffered through construction of 11 lots in the past 27 years, this is now the 12th.  Yet another duplex has been proposed for another lot on the street.  The fastest site took 18 months to build by developers who knew what they were doing in Hillside.  The longest was 5 years.  Corralitas Drive is not a through street and does not have regulation sized cul-de-sacs.  Weekend construction with heavy equipment and deliveries is not worthwhile.

You can file complaints about violations like failure to adequately control fugitive dust, equipment stored in the street or on sidewalks, blocking the street and public staircases, dangerous conditions, damage to adjacent property on Building & Safety's (LADBS) website. 

Neighbors should save the phone number of Parking Enforcement (LADOT) to their phone: (818) 374-4823 

Corralitas Drive: Disappearing Fire Hydrant, Blocked Sidewalk

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 17, 2017.  Yesterday afternoon, someone tossed the rocks from the street to the sidewalk.  Mud is about to completely cover the fire hydrant.  The sidewalk has been neglected by the current property owner for years, forcing people to walk into the street on a blind curve around which people routinely drive too fast.

The sidewalk blocked by mud has been reported by neighbors to MyLA311.

Riverside Terrace: Dangerous Pool Creates Public Health Risk

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, March 24, 2016.  Got mosquitoes? 

A thick layer of algae floats atop of several feet of water in a deep swimming pool in the backyard of a vacant Riverside Terrace house.  The lot goes through to Riverside Place. 

Not only is the swampy water a public health risk as a mosquito farm, it's also a potential death trap for children, as the yard is not fenced completely.  The house is directly across the street from Allesandro Elementary School. 

City and County officials have been warning residents to remove standing water from around their homes, to help fight the spread of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus, Zika (Heartworm in dogs and cats) and a host of other diseases.  

This pool has been reported to LA County Vector Control and City of Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety.

Red Car Property Lot C: Vernal Pool & Dumping

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer March 6, 2016.  With just over an inch of rain overnight Saturday into Sunday, the vernal pool on Lot C, north of India Street, stretches nearly across the entire  path. If the rain hits as expected Monday - Tuesday, we might have a tough time navigating this body of water on foot.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, March 6, 2016.  The piles of dumping, trash and construction debris make it tough to go around vernal pool on the side of the path closest to Riverside Drive. The City does not pick up dumping from private property.

For more timely updates on storm related happenings, follow us on Twitter: @RedCarProperty

Red Car Property: Angel of Adelbert

Stuff you missed this year...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 15, 2015.  A statue was left behind by squatters when they were removed from a house on Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last February, a fence went up on the property line, around a house that had previously been occupied by squatters. Neighbors were surprised by the extent of the encroachment on the Red Car Property.  The Adelbert house was bought by flippers and the squatters moved to a nearby house and adjacent lot on Riverside Drive.  

The Riverside Drive house was similarly was bank owned and since sold to a house flipper.  The squatters continue returning to a lot on Riverside Drive adjacent lot the Red Car Property.  CD13, LAPD, City Attorney, Dept of Building & Safety and LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) have been working to move the squatters into actual supportive housing rather than homemade sheds on a dangerous slope, and clean up conditions that drew squatters to the site.

Stuff You Missed This Year is our annual wrap up of interesting photos and things we just didn't have a chance to run, because everything seems to always happen at the same time.

Red Car Property: The Shifting Pile Of Salvage On Lot C

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, October 11, 2015.  The large pile of salvaged windows, old CalTrans vehicles and other debris has been on the downslope portion of the Red Car Property's Lot C, adjacent to a Riverside Drive house cleared of squatters earlier this year.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The pile of debris was recently shifted away from the house.  The Red Car Property extends about 25' downslope - about to the shed in the background.  The shed is a recent addition to the Riverside Drive vacant lot, where neighbors report seeing some of the squatters cleared from a house on Adelbert earlier this year. 

A little more than a year ago, a family vacated their longtime home they owned on Riverside Drive.  The house is now being flipped.  They also owned the lot next door (now a hosting a camp of squatters) and stored salvaged items on the lot as well as on the Red Car Property.  They never returned for the salvage.  

Now the "broken window" that was allowed to fester despite repeated requests to the Red Car Property owner's rep to remove this salvage/debris pile have further encouraged the lawlessness on the Riverside Drive "vacant" lot below. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 12, 2015.  For years the debris pile (down the hill) looked like this, until recently.  Shifting the pile does not make it better.  It needs to be removed completely.  

When the squatter camp moved up onto the Red Car Property for one night, more people started paying attention to what was going on here.  

All of the salvage/debris in these photos is on the Red Car Property.  The squatters and the sheds are on an adjacent Riverside Drive property. The Red Car Property owner, LAPD SLO Lenny Davis, City Attorney and CD13 have all been notified of this problem.   

The Red Car Property owner has a trespass order for the Red Car Property on file at Northeast LAPD.  If people are conducting drug deals, starting fires, committing violent acts, etc, call 911.  If you see people casing cars, trying door handles, etc, call the non-emergency 1-877-ASK-LAPD and report it while it is happening.  Tell them there is a trespass order on file with Northeast LAPD.  This site is north of India Street on the old Pacific Electric Red Car Right of Way, or Red Car Property. 

The Red Car Property is private property and it is a lawless place.
 

Corralitas Drive: Concrete Pylon Abandoned On Sidewalk By Developer

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 1, 2015.  For the better part of a month, an 8' long concrete pylon has blocked the sidewalk across from the construction site at 2612 - 2614 Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Neighbors have asked the developer to remove the pylon which was dug out of the site weeks ago.  It's not like we can call the City for a pick up.  The homeowner where the pylon is abandoned is not at all pleased.  Construction workers have been parking their trucks on the sidewalk elsewhere adjacent to his property (in the red zone), breaking sprinkler heads, killing plants and damaging the sidewalk.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 22, 2015.  The pylon makes it tricky to exit the passenger side of a car and makes it impossible to use the already narrow sidewalk when cars are parked there.  Considering how fast people drive the street, it is really important to have the sidewalk clear to walk after dark.

UPDATE 9-4-15: The pylon is now being stored on the developer's site. 
 

Corralitas Drive: Is There Any Wonder Why Neighbors Hate Developers?

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, August 15, 2015.   Developer's trucks left a very narrow passageway between heavy equipment, parked cars, and a truck blocking the public staircase, starting at 7AM Saturday for the construction site in front of 2512 - 2614 Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge)

Complaints from neighbors started rolling in to my email box shortly after 7AM Saturday, for the third Saturday in a row.  We thought we had an agreement with the developer so he would notify us so we could move cars from this portion of the street in addition to the first blind curve coming up the hill.  I forwarded this photo to him, after a neighbor sent it to me.  Hours later he responded, claiming no knowledge of the work happening Saturday.

Another neighbor pointed out, little or nothing has been happening on this construction site on weekdays, so why is this happening on weekends on a narrow substandard hillside street with only one means of access?  On Saturday, Building & Safety isn't working so it's not like we have any recourse.

Report violations to LA Dept of Building & Safety

Report parking violations to Dept of Transportation (i.e. Parking Enforcement) (818) 374-4823  

Additional questions, problems with City departments: contact Mary Rodriguez, CD13 Silver Lake Deputy: Mary.D.Rodriguez@lacity.org (213) 207- 3021
  

Red Car Property: Mercedes Abandoned Memorial Day Weekend, Has Not Moved

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, August 3, 2015.  We first reported this silver Mercedes SUV, CA plates: 6AON271, to the property owner's rep and LAPD Senior Lead Officer Lenny Davis on May 23, 2015. Now it's attracting more trash and dumping.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

City Parking Enforcement refuses to tow cars from private property if they are not stolen.  This car was registered to an address in San Rafael when LAPD SLO Davis checked in May.  At the time, it was not reported stolen.  The Red Car Property owner has to have the car towed. 

In June, it was reported to Building & Safety. The inspector seemed to think this SUV was coming and going from the property.  Right.  My guess is he never went out to see the vehicle. CD13 has requested Building & Safety follow up on the complaint.  There is no lack of photographs on the blog or in my archives.

Click here for all the abandoned Mercedes SUV posts.

At least the Buick abandoned on Corralitas at the Red Car Property was finally removed in the past week.   Parking Enforcement can cite and tow if the car is abandoned on a City Street.  

Note: Despite what many mapping services say, the Red Car Property is NOT Silver Lake Court (an unbuilt City street right-of-way, just west of the property between Silver Lake Ave Stairs, ending north of Roselin Stairs).  The Red Car Property is private property and it is a lawless place. 

Red Car Canyon: Sewer Lines Dumped Last Week

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 11, 2015.  Last week,  it appears that someone replaced about 35' of sewer lines and dumped the old ones, including some old clay sewer lines, and a large wood beam in Red Car Canyon on the Lake View Ave side.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Respect your neighbors.  The City does not pick up your trash back here - it's private property.  Don't dump it out your back gates.  Don't drive here and dump either.  Considering the property owner still hasn't picked up dumping in the canyon from last summer, this is only going to sit here too.

If you see someone dumping - take photos, be sure to get their license plate & call the non-emergency 1-877-ASK-LAPD & report it immediately.

Who benefits from illegal dumping?  Developers.  

Neighbors complain.  Developers fail to clean up their property so you will embrace development.  Don't fall for their pattern of neglect.  File a complaint on the Building & Safety website. The address for this site is 2433 Corralitas Drive.  As if you could find it by address.  It's best to include photos.