Red Car Property: Fences Going Up

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, May 27, 2020.  

Neighbors want to know what is going on with the Red Car Property as fences like this one being built along side the public sidewalk (Corralitas Walk) adjacent to the 2 Freeway.  They seem to be fencing off the entire property. The new fence pictured above, at the 2 Freeway, will create a narrow, less than 10' wide chain link alley with chain link fence on both sides of Corralitas Walk between Corralitas Drive and Allesandro Way.  

Neighbors are very concerned about the public safety issues with such a long narrow passageway here, and it's not just about cars flying off the freeway.  We'll go more in depth on the public safety issues at a future date.

Please be assured we are trying to sort out what is really going on and we'll be back to posting here on the blog soon.  In the meantime, for more immediate news and photos of the fence follow us on Twitter @RedCarProperty. 

-DE

2 Freeway: Car Crashes Onto Red Car Property From The 2 Freeway

All photos: Red Car Property neighbors, April 27, 2019.

Around 2:30 AM, Red Car Property neighbors were awakened by a horrible sounding crash on the 2 Freeway. A very expensive sports car crashed through the chain link fence and came to a stop at the base of a steep slope on the Red Car Property.  At least one neighbor called police when it appeared people took off after the neighbor shined a bright flashlight on them.

One Silver Ridge neighbor described the sound of the crash: a car's screeching tires on the southbound 2 Freeway, then a large crash followed by more squealing tires and an even larger traveling crash.  A Corralitas neighbor's doorbell camera recorded the same sequence of sound at 2:31 AM.

The photo above is a lighter version of the previous photo, shot around 3 AM. 

With no large trees that used to prevent drivers from crashing onto Corralitas and the Red Car Property, the driver crashed through the brush on the side of the 2 Freeway, down the slope, through the chain link fence, across the public sidewalk (Corralitas Walk) and onto the Red Car Property, stopping at the base of the steep slope at the south end of the Red Car Property.  

Neighbors were on alert for fire since brush clearance had not been done.  This is the same part of the property that burned in the 2016 Silver Lake Fire.

When the sun came up, the path of the crash was more clear.  The orange cones mark the section of chain link fence taken out by the car crashing through and across Corralitas Walk.  It stopped at the far right of the frame.  The tire tracks completing the circle to the left, show the path the tow truck took to reach the car.

The large gap in the trees along the southbound 2, just past the orange cones, is where CalTrans cut down all the trees, including a number of enormous Eucalyptus trees that previously kept cars from flying onto Corralitas Drive and the Red Car Property.  

CalTrans cut down all the trees, including recovering trees that were not dead, after the 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  As soon as CalTrans cut the trees down, neighbors began asking CalTrans for trees, a sound wall or even concrete K-rails because they were suddenly feeling exposed.  A few months after the trees were removed a car flew off the freeway and crashed horribly onto Corralitas Drive.  It was fortunate no pedestrians were injured in either crash.

By 4 AM the tow truck was loading the car now in the Corralitas cul-de-sac, adjacent to the Red Car Property.  A neighbor confirmed the crashed car was a brand new Lamborghini.  It still had dealer paper plates.  From the photos, it appears CHP was present.

After last week's crash, we asked CD13 to prioritize brush clearance on the Red Car Property and request CalTrans do their brush clearance too. A fire could have sparked with the hot engine resting on the dry grass. 

Related: 
Car flies off 2 Freeway onto Corralitas Drive, 2016

All our car crash posts

Several neighbors from Silver Ridge Ave (directly above the Red Car Property) and Corralitas Drive contributed photos, video/audio recording, in addition to what they saw and heard to help create this post. 

This post was published May 7, 2019 and postdated to the incident date for reference.

Red Car Canyon: Not A Park, It Just Looks Like One

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 17, 2017.  A pack of more than a dozen bicyclists sped north on the Red Car Property.  Luckily, no one was on Corralitas Walk, the public sidewalk between Allesandro Way and Corralitas Drive, when they came downhill dangerously fast, taking pedestrians on the Red Car Property by surprise.

Red Car Property: Shelf Fungus

Photo: s_d_m, October 27, 2017.  Red Car Property neighbor found a large shelf fungus growing out of cracks in the burned stump of a Eucalyptus on the south end of the Red Car Property, just off Corralitas Walk at the 2 Freeway.

Photo: s_d_m, October 27, 2017.  According to Mycoweb, it's most likely Laetiporis gilbertsonii, also known as a Chicken of the Woods.  They commonly grow in Eucalyptus trees in California.  We've documented many through the years in the Red Car Neighborhood.

Photo: s_d_m, October 27, 2017.  Chicken of the Woods often returns annually to the same trees.  This photo shows the fungus growing out of both sides of the stump.  The stump was left behind after LAFD contractors did brush clearance in December 2016, six months after it was scorched in the June 19, 2016 fire.

Related: All our fungus posts
Mykoweb

Corralitas Red Car Property: When The Weeds Are Taller Than The Workers...

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, August 28, 2017.  When the weeds are taller than the workers doing the weed whacking, you understand why neighbors have been bitching about the brush clearance.  Hope they know the slope on the 2 Freeway side of that hill going down to the sidewalk is part of the Red Car Property too.  This slope is where the 2016 Silver Lake Fire started.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, June 28, 2017.  Yup, that's a second worker among the brush.  Enlarged from first photo.

Hear the sounds of weed whacking in short video: @Red Car Property

Corralitas Red Car Property: Still Needs Brush Clearance

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 6, 2017.  Neighbors are downright angry that the Red Car Property owner still has not done brush clearance.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Little has changed since May except a few more neighbors cleared brush back from their property lines on the Red Car Property out of self preservation.  In many places the dry grass has been mashed down by people driving cars and trucks across it.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 6, 2017.  The Red Car Property includes the slope up to the telephone poles that run across the middle of the slope.  Protected native Black Walnut Trees are recovering from the 2016 fire.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor July 6, 2017.  The large protected native Coast Live Oak is still showing dry branches and leaves toasted by the fire.  However, there is a lot of new growth on the tree.  Looks like LAFD brush clearance contractors and adjacent property owners went a bit overboard cutting down Black Walnuts on the Red Car Property.  

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 6, 2017.  Some Lake View Ave property owners did their brush clearance last week.  Looks like their trucks mashed down the dry grass or they cleared some of it so they wouldn't inadvertently spark a fire with their trucks on the flat part of the Red Car Property. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 6, 2017.  Nothing has changed on the Corralitas side. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 12, 2017.  Lest you think things are different today, reports from neighbors along the entire property, as well as photos from above, confirm they still haven't done brush clearance on the Red Car Property.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 6, 2017.  Corralitas Walk, a public walk street is sandwiched between the 2 Freeway (to the right of the chain link fence) and the Red Car Property (upslope from the sidewalk).  The upslope neighbor appears to have cleared some brush from the Red Car Property adjacent to their home.  However the brush still needs clearing here too.  The protected native Black Walnuts and Coast Live Oaks on the slope are recovering here too.

We've talked about the failure to do brush clearance on the Red Car Property for the past decade.  Nothing ever seems to change.

Click here for all our brush clearance posts.

Red Car Property Neighborhood: There's Nothing Scarier On The 4th Of July Than Hipsters With Fireworks*

*Post originally published July 2, 2014.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 4, 2013.  That giant airborne explosion is not a professional fireworks show, but illegal fireworks shot off by some idiot on the south (Silver Lake & Elysian Heights) side of the 5 Freeway, close to Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It seems every year we see more people shooting off illegal fireworks in the hills.  You can hear the gunpowder raining down on your roof, patios & trees - as I witnessed on Corralitas a couple years ago.  That same year, another neighbor was dumbstruck when he saw drunken hipsters shooting off similar fireworks way up on top of Micheltorena.  

ALL FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, UNLESS THEY ARE IN A PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS SHOW.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014.  The dying Eucalyptus tree is still hanging above Red Car Canyon today.  (APN 5440-030-033)  

In fact, only 2 of the dozen or so dead and dying Eucalyptus we highlighted in May trees were significantly trimmed back.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 27, 2014.  The dead weeds are taller than the allowed 3" within 100' of homes. 

Links: LAFD Brush Clearance Unit
All our brush clearance posts

LAPD and LAFD are telling people, if you see someone shooting off fireworks, call 1-877-ASK-LAPD. If you see smoke, safely investigate.  If you see fire (not a BBQ) call 911.

Corralitas Red Car Property: No Trespassing Signs Appear. How About Red Tags?

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 2, 2017. No Trespassing signs appeared on the ground at the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property.  The signs neighbors wanted to see for the past 2 months are LAFD Red Tag notices for brush clearance.  The Red Car Property extends up to the telephone poles, running across the slope.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 2, 2017.  This sign will not stop anyone.  

We've highlighted brush clearance issues on the Red Car Property for the past decade.  Click here for all our brush clearance posts.

Red Car Property: Dry Brush

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, May 5, 2017.  The good news is some of the big trees are recovering after the 2016 fire.  Bad news: dry brush is more dense than a year ago.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, May 12, 2017.  Some upslope neighbors did their brush clearance by May 1.  Understandably, it appears at least one went overboard clearing well past the property line.  (The power lines, halfway up the hill, are at the property line to the Red Car Property.)  Many of the protected native Black Walnuts and Coast Live Oaks are recovering from last year's fire, including trees LAFD's contractors cut down (that were not dead) 6 months after the fire. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, May 12, 2017.  A relatively small tree that did not recover from the fire and CalTrans' subsequent butchery, is still partially blocking Corralitas Walk, a public sidewalk between Corralitas Drive and Allesandro Way and Lake View Ave.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, May 5, 2017.  The dead tree still had its crown a week earlier.  Ironically, May 8, three days after this photo was taken, CalTrans sent me email confirmation that the fence had been fixed here on a complaint I'd made November 3, 2016, regarding fence damage between Rosebud/Corralitas and Allesandro Way/Lake View Ave.  I guess if they can't see it from their trucks, the problem doesn't exist.

Corralitas Drive & 2 Freeway: After Record Rains In 2005; Current Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 5, 2005.  Los Angeles had record rainfall in 2005 with nearly 38" Downtown (We usually get about a third more rain than Downtown.)  Most of those trees on the 2 Freeway and Corralitas Drive are gone now.

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas Drive rain gauge: 

February 7 - 8, 2017: 0.1"
Rain year to date: 20"

Big rain is supposed to hit midday Friday. 

Corralitas Red Car Property: Driver Of Construction Equipment Looking Lost

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 10, 2017. The driver of a large flatbed truck with what appears to be a piece of excavating equipment on board, seemed to be lost as he reached the south end of the Red Car Property on Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

No zone change, nor grading permits have been approved for the Red Car Property.  

The Red Car Property is not a public nor private road.  It is zoned for residential use.  It would take a discretionary action with a public process to make it a road. 

2 Freeway & Corralitas Drive: Nov. 30 Tragic Car Crash, No Surprise. Shocking No One On Corralitas Was Struck By Car Flying Off 2 Frwy.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Yesterday's evidence of a car crashing off the southbound 2 Freeway onto Corralitas Drive became tragic once neighbors started sharing photos.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The neighbor who first reported the incident to me, was relieved that no one on Corralitas Drive was struck by the flying car or debris.  Photos at street level were shot around 9 AM.   Corralitas Walk is the public sidewalk heading up the hill adjacent to the southbound 2 Freeway in the background of the above photo. 

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  That's not a retaining wall in the background, it's the dirt embankment of the 2 Freeway.  Notice the fire engine and cars up on the 2 Freeway.  There is no guardrail.  There has never been a guardrail there.  In the past, enormous Eucalyptus trees stopped cars from flying off this section of freeway.

In July, CalTrans cut down all the trees in the parkway it deemed as unsafe, including the 50+ year old Eucalyptus trees that did not burn in the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016. 
As jarring as the photos are, we shouldn't be surprised a car flew off the southbound 2 Freeway.  Neighbors have been warning about this potential scenario for months.  We hope the driver is recovering from this horrible crash.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  The scale of the 2 Freeway slope and inadequacy of the guard rail is more evident when viewed from above the Red Car Property.  The guard rail,prior to the crash and prior to the tree carnage, has always been approximately 50 long, almost all of it leading up to the overhead freeway sign.

Beginning in August, shortly after Cal Trans cut down all the trees adjacent to Corralitas Drive south of Rosebud Ave., neighbors tried to get the attention of public officials and CalTrans regarding the health and public safety issues with the recent tree carnage.  One neighbor wrote to several elected officials and CalTrans:

"I have 3 children [ages omitted] that play on the cul-de-sac. There’s only a small strip of guard rail by the freeway sign. We’ve seen a few cars end up on the ditch where the trees prevented them from ending up on Corralitas. I don’t feel safe having my kids play outside anymore. The fence on Corralitas side will not prevent a fast moving car from ending up on my street."

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  You wouldn't have been safe in your own driveway from large pieces of flying car parts.  This large piece of the car easily could have killed a young child as it landed a good 12 feet up a neighbor's driveway.  Another neighbor's parked car window was shattered by flying debris. 

This summer, I had several conversations with CalTrans representatives regarding the section of the 2 Freeway burned in the Silver Lake Fire. Among other topics, I requested concrete K-Rails, the "temporary" barriers CalTrans uses to protect their workers from traffic in long term construction zones.  On multiple occasions, and despite their awareness of my documentation of the removed trees stopping cars from flying off the freeway in 2015: both CalTrans reps said the safety of the motorists on the freeway was their only concern; not the safety of the adjacent residents or users of city streets.  

If that's true, then K-Rails are warranted on the southbound 2 Freeway adjacent to Corralitas between the Rosebud Ave Overcrossing and approximately 100' north of the intersection of Allesandro Way and Lake View Ave.  Need more reasons?  Check out some of the videos on CalTrans website of trucks crashing into K-Rails. 
 

2 Freeway & Corralitas Drive: Demolished Guardrail, Chain Link Fence, Scattered Oil & Auto Parts Leave Neighbors Scratching Heads

Photo: November 30, 2016, Corralitas Neighbor.   Neighbors arrived home from work this evening to find the small 50' guardrail on the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway absolutely demolished.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor November 30, 2016.  The railing is wrapped completely around the pole, almost all of the wooden support posts were broken and scattered around the slope and Corralitas Drive below.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016. Surmising from the flow of dirt, oil and auto parts, neighbors suspected a vehicle had flown off the freeway at high speeds, and with no large trees to stop the out of control vehicle, it crashed through the flimsy chain link fence at the base of the steep slope and landed on Corralitas Drive. 

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Whatever crashed through the fence showed the inadequacy of the 50' guardrail.  The neighbor who sent these photos, also sent them to the CalTrans representatives, who, for the past several months, failed to respond to the neighbor's request for even the most temporary of barriers, concrete K-Rails or Jersey Barriers.  He was grateful neither his nor his neighbors' kids were in the street at the time of the crash.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, November 30, 2016.  Debris from the wreckage was on both sides of the fence, including a some that damaged one neighbor's car.  You can still see motor oil in the storm drain inlet at the front of the car's tire. 

Another neighbor emailed me inquiring about the aforementioned, as well as a large puddle of oil in the middle of the street, near her driveway.  Needless to say, neighbors were taking photos and asking questions before the sun went down.  More to follow.

Note: CalTrans removed trees it deemed as unsafe after the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire.  This summer, I had several conversations with CalTrans representatives where, among other topics, I requested K-rails.  On multiple occasions, and despite their awareness of my documentation of the the removed trees stopping cars from flying off the freeway in 2015: both said the safety of the motorists on the freeway was their only concern, not the safety of the adjacent residents or users of city streets. -DE

Corralitas Walk: Before & After Trees

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 21, 2016.  Prior to the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire, Corralitas Walk (a public sidewalk) was screened from the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway by a 20 - 40 foot tall wall of trees. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 11, 2016.  About a month after the fire, CalTrans went overboard chopping down the remaining trees that did not burn.  Neighbors and pedestrians feel exposed and none too safe since there is only one small 50' section of guardrail back around the overhead freeway signs.  Now, the only thing keeping cars from flying off the freeway is a flimsy chain link fence.  Cal Trans removed the 2 large Eucalyptus trees that stopped at least 2 cars from flying off the freeway in 2015. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 18, 2009.  The wall of trees made living and walking next to the 2 Freeway tolerable, even on the hottest days.

Red Car Property: Day Of The Dead Trees

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 9, 2016.  The large Eucalyptus on the Red Car Property adjacent to the 2 Freeway, initially showed signs of fresh growth, but it was already in a death spiral before the Silver Lake Fire.  Neighbors are wondering why LAFD hasn't cited the Red Car Property owner and had it removed as a fire hazard.

Corralitas Red Car Property: 49 Unit Zone Change Applied For. Here We Go Again

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 11, 2016.  Thursday, The Eastsider broke the news, an application for a zone change and tract map to allow for 49 condo units on the south end of the Red Car Property was filed with City Planning.  The property includes considerable slope that burned in the Silver Lake Fire, June 19, 2016. (Yes, that Eucalyptus Tree burned and is now a fire hazard on the Red Car Property.) (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The City Planning process for a zone change is a public process allowing for public review of the file and a public hearing, where neighbors have the right and responsibility to voice their opinions. 

The current property owner bought the Red Car Property in 2001.  They never got to the public hearing stage with a 2003 development proposal for 75 homes.  In the 2003 proposal, the "open space lot" was an unusable slope that would have been behind a 25' tall retaining wall.

In 1995, the neighbors won against a similar zone change proposal, when the planning commission agreed with then CD13 City Councilmember Jackie Goldberg, who spoke on behalf of the community, and denied the zone change.

The development history of the Red Car Property is long and sad when it comes to missed opportunities for park acquisition.   The exclusive option the Trust for Public Land held for 2 years on the Red Car Property was not renewed earlier this year.  Despite promises of funding from City, County and State sources, it would not be enough to acquire the property.  Public funding options for areas like ours are tricky due to the recent run up in real estate prices.  

When you look at the history of the Red Car Property, know that history repeats itself and opportunities change. One thing that does not change is the resolve of this neighborhood to fight for open space and against dense development.  Don't ever underestimate Red Car Property Neighbors. 

Read more:
The Eastsider
Red Car Property Development History
Legacy of Failed Development
2012: Why is the City doing such a good job of brush clearance when the private property is for sale? 

Editor's note: I apologize for the late post regarding the zone change application.  It is not a crisis, nor is there an immediate deadline.  The Eastsider's news did make the rounds of neighborhood email lists.  For breaking news, follow us on Twitter: @RedCarProperty  

2 Freeway: What Difference Do Trees Make? Part 2

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 18, 2009.  The scale of the loss of trees on the 2 Freeway adjacent Corralitas Drive is only evident when people are in the photos with trees.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It's hard to imagine the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway are about 15' away from the urban hikers of The Big Parade 2009 on Corralitas Walk.

Photo: Lupita Chapa, August 5, 2016.  A month after the Silver  Lake Fire, CalTrans began removing the 50+ year old enormous Eucalyptus and Brazilian Pepper Trees (that for the 26 years I've lived on Corralitas Drive) have formed a 30-40' tall green barrier between Corralitas and the Southbound lanes of 2 Freeway.

Don't expect to see new trees planted here. CalTrans is under water restrictions imposed by Governor Brown.  If we're lucky, we might get some ground cover to help prevent erosion.  I've spoken to two CalTrans representatives who have told me, on multiple occasions - even before the Silver Lake Fire, trees planted on freeway parkways do not clean the air, control dust, mitigate sound, provide psychological benefits or provide a safety barrier.  I guess trees lose their ability to do those things when they're planted on freeways. 

Yes trees planted today won't mitigate much right now.  However, that is no reason to ignore the long term effects of tree planting.

Earlier this year Doug Brown, Senior Landscape Architect for CalTrans was quoted in a Scientific American story, "When managed properly, trees are proven cost-effective mitigation measures that sequester carbon.”  (Sequestering carbon is how trees remove pollutants from the air and store it underground.) 

Photo: Lupita Chapa, August 5, 2016.  As far as public safety goes, there is only about 50 feet of guard rail near the freeway signs that cross the freeway, which are north of where the cars usually fly off the freeway  - to be stopped by the large (now removed) Eucalyptus.

CalTrans is concerned about the safety of drivers, not the safety of those who have chosen to live next to a freeway because it was affordable.  Until the Silver Lake Fire, and CalTrans' subsequent removal of trees their landscape experts deemed necessary, trees made living across the narrow street from the freeway tolerable.