Red Car Property: Mudwatch Near Adelbert

Photos: Red Car Property Neighbor January 16, 2023.

Another predictable mudslide is below properties on Adelbert Ave, flowing down the Red Car Property.  This Red Car Property slope was stabilized and restored in 2009, after a 2005 slide.

Lesson: plant these slopes with native trees to help hold them together.  At least toss some found acorns on the slope from the nearby Coast Live Oak or Black Walnuts from the once plentiful natives adjacent Adelbert. just north of this location. And stop clear cutting young native trees which do repopulate slopes.

This crumbling slope and mudslide is in the same stretch on the Red Car Property's Lot C.  The same craftsman home is in both photos.
 

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.

Red Car Property: Toilets, Bumper, Aquarium

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 15, 2017.  Neighbor reports the toilets, bumper and aquarium arrived on Lot C of the Red Car Property at India Street, as soon as the previous pile of dumping was picked up earlier this month.  They are still there now.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 15, 2017.  Perhaps the dumping would be curtailed,  if the Red Car Property was closed to all motorized vehicles, except emergency vehicles, with steel gates similar to those on every fire road in Griffith and Elysian Park.

Red Car Property At India Street: Oh Sure, That'll Work

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 2, 2017.  A neighbor found a No Trespassing sign on the ground at India Street on the Red Car Property.  Looks like the Red Car Property owner is enabling neighbors to call the LAPD to enforce the trespass order on the homeless camp south of India Street near Rose Scharlin Nursery School. 

Red Car Property Lot C: Needs Brush Clearance

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  Two months since the deadline for brush clearance passed (May 1, every year) and the Red Car Property (in this post, north of India Street) has yet to be cleared.  That huge dead Eucalyptus is in the 40' wide City street right-of-way for Silver Lake Court.  High voltage lines appear to go through the tree to the adjacent telephone pole.  The crumbling slope is Lot C of Red Car Property.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  Just north of India Street, the grass is taller and much more dense than a year ago.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor July 1, 2017.  Another dead Eucalyptus was trimmed back during brush clearance in December 2016, only after the Red Car Property was red tagged and cleared by a LAFD brush clearance contractor.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  The grass is so thick, you'd never know how crumbly the slope really is.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  The 4th of July is 2 days away, but cigarettes can be tossed any day of the year. 

Send your concerns about brush clearance on the Red Car Property to CD13's Hector.Vega@lacity.org.

Red Car Property Lot C: No Brush Clearance Yet

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, June 23, 2017.  Brush clearance has yet to happen on the Red Car Property slope above the Riverside Drive construction site.  (The construction site took about 60' in width of the Red Car Property with their construction fence.)  *Photo details at end of post.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, June 23, 2017.  At least many of the remaining trees on Lot C are recovering from five years of unprecedented drought and complete devastation of the slope below the Red Car Property.  The upslope side of the trail (to the wood fence) is Red Car Property.  It's the end of June and still no brush clearance.  

*Photo details: A neighbor ran into LAPD Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Luis Reyes (covering for vacationing Silver Lake SLO Lenny Davis) and CD13 Deputy Hector Vega on Lot C of the Red Car Property.  They were investigating neighbors' complaints of homeless camps near Rose Scharlin and near Fletcher.  They notified the homeless person near Fletcher of the no trespassing order the property owner has on file with the LAPD for the Red Car Property.  While offering services, they told him he could not stay on the property.

Red Car Property: Dumping, Weeds at India Street Entrance

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 28, 2017. The Red Car Property remains a lawless place.  The brush is dry and the dumping fresh at India Street.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor April 28, 2017.  Chairs and other debris are among the dumping.  If it is a resident, let's hope they requested a bulky item pick-up via the City's MyLA311, or it may take a while to get picked up.

On a positive note, the large opuntia cactus (on the slope) has recovered from 5 years of unprecedented drought. The mature cactus is good defensive landscaping for its drought tolerance, fire resistance and crime deterrence.   Plant it near windows and along fence lines.  

Deadline for brush clearance is May 1, every year.  That slope is on Red Car Property, Lot C at India Street.
 

Red Car Property: Drywall Pile On Lot C Now Protected By Riverside Drive Developer's Fence

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 21, 2017.  If you're going to fence in property that isn't yours and put in plumbing, then pick up the pile of drywall, first dumped in January 2016.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In January this year, the drywall pile was still outside the construction fence for the Riverside Drive development that was put up on the Red Car Property last fall.

At least those 3 trees are still alive.  Wonder how many more native trees they cut down.
 

Red Car Property: Lot C Neighbors Tired Of Dumping

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 17, 2017.  A new sign showed up on a fence on Lot C of the Red Car Property, north of India Street before the construction fence.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, April 17, 2017.  "No Dumping, Trash, This is NOT Your House!!!!!"  Of course the  "fence" is about 20 - 30 feet over the property line on the Red Car Property's Lot C.  

Homes on this downslope side of the Red Car Property front on Riverside Drive.

Red Car Property: Feral Chihuahuas Make A Kill

April Fool's Post 2017

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor March 31, 2017.  The marauding pack of Chihuahuas led by the little nasty white dog, was spotted yesterday feeding on a fresh kill on Lot C of the Red Car Property, near the construction fence. 

The vicious little wild dogs chased off the photographer who captured this rare photo and then they tried to kill his much larger dog.  The last documented sighting was in 2011. However, neighbors have long told of the marauding pack, known for chasing people; swarming large dogs; playing chicken with cars and escaping coyotes with their impressive speed.

This post should not be used as proof of anything other than April Foolishness...

However, the marauding pack of Chihuahuas is real and has been out and chasing people and dogs on Lot C this past week.  They now seem to have a mixed breed puppy with them.  They were photographed here eating "something yucky" in a trash bag near their reported home.  Additionally, they have indeed terrorized people walking on the Red Car Property for years.  Read more:
October 5, 2010
July 4, 2011

Red Car Property: Mudwatch Lot C

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  The fence blocking the walkable portion of the Red Car Property for the Riverside Drive construction site, also crosses the vernal pool on Lot C, forcing pedestrians up the slippery slope to access the portion of the trail the developer left open to the public.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The pile of drywall debris dumped a year ago remains to the right side of the frame. But look, through butchered trees, you can see Griffith Park.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 5, 2017.  The flat portion, where cars are parked, is the Red Car Property.  It is not a public road, nor is it even a public right of way.  To make it a private street, it would require a discretionary action by City Planning.  The upslope side is also Red Car Property.  It is well documented as the most crumbly slope on the property.  The side where most of the cars are parked, is where neighbors have encroached onto the Red Car Property by 20' or more.

See also: Vernal Pool on Lot C on October 14, 2009

Red Car Property Lot C: Mudwatch, Creeks, Stormwater Flow

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  You can see the motor oil and other black stuff around the edges of the many deep puddles on Lot C.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Lot C Creek drains down toward India Street where it meets up with Red Car Creek (originating as Upper Red Car Canyon Creek), flows down India Street, then makes its way down to Riverside Drive.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  Red Car Creek was not deterred by the City's paving of the vernal pool at the India Street entrance to the Red Car Property.

Today, City of LA laying asphalt in the vernal pool on Private property: Red Car Property at India St, 3rd time this month @MitchOFarrell pic.twitter.com/0JX9fYZ4GC

— Corralitas (@RedCarProperty) December 21, 2016

Yesterday, I received an email response from a representative of CD13 responding to my email inquiry including a neighbor's photos regarding the City's paving of the Red Car Property this week:

"Street Services is investigating this issue and should be getting back to us shortly. We're [the City] is not in the business of placing asphalt on private property so you can be assured that this won't happen again."

Red Car Property Lot C: Falling Rocks Ahead

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, December 24, 2016.  The slope to the right of the dirt road has always been the most crumbly slope on the Red Car Property (just north of the India Street entrance to the property).  In 2003, the developer included it as an "open space lot" in their failed 75-home plan.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Property: Dawn Yesterday

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 6, 2016.  Last week, more digging occurred around the huge Coast Live Oak Tree on the Red Car Property, adjacent to the Riverside Drive 14 unit. development.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, November 6, 2016.  Who could have guessed? Graffiti vandals found the fence, visible from the 5 Freeway, irresistible.  Neighbors notified CD13 a week ago.  The fence was put up by the developer of the 14 unit development under construction on Riverside Drive. It is up to the property owner to remove the graffiti.  Spray paint cans litter the site.  Neighbors hope this doesn't become another Menlo Property.

Red Car Property: Developer Blocked Walkable Portion Of Trail, But Did Brush Clearance (After Some Arm Twisting)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  From a distance, it appears the construction fence for the 14 unit development on Riverside Drive is blocking the Red Car Property, north of India Street.  However, they left us passage on the upslope side of the fence, hidden behind a silver Mercedes.  (The Mercedes finally left last night, after being parked there more than a month.)  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  The pile of drywall dumped last January is on the downslope side of the trail, along with a reduced pile of salvage and trash on the 20 - 30' of downslope that is Red Car Property.  No word if people are still living in the sheds further downslope.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  Neighbors still aren't buying the line from the Riverside Drive developer, that he doesn't have a deal to develop this part of the Red Car Property.  They only cleared the brush from the path here once I bitched at him that it was not a functional path he claimed to have given us.  It was full of trampled down brush and castor beans.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  The heritage Coast Live Oak is still standing.  The developer blocked the highly used portion of the trail, and left us the narrow portion between the slope and the dust screened, chain link fence. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  There are a few leaves left on what was the most beautiful California Black Walnut Tree on the Red Car Property.  Last month, the developer's brush clearance crew cut all the new growth from the tree for no good reason.  The tree is definitely on the Red Car Property.

This site is not the site of the proposed zone change to allow 49 units.  However, you better believe if they get the zone change and subdivision for condos on the south end of the property the remaining lots will be subject to a development application.  

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.

Lot C: The More Things Change...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 16, 2016.  Arrow is pointing to drywall dumped in January, still on Red Car Property's Lot C in June, along with the guy living in the truck, and the tidied and migrating piles of debris.  The trees benefited from a reasonable amount of rain last winter.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, October 2, 2016.  Last week, neighbors said a couple of guys, joined by the LAPD, paid a visit to the guy living in the white truck.  Later the same day, he and his truck were gone.  The pile of drywall, now a moldy mess, is still there.  

The trees were trimmed badly.  I wouldn't expect that pine tree to make it though an earthquake or a massive rainstorm.  That type of pine tree tends to lean, but poor trimming will hasten its demise.  All of the trees in this shot are on the Red Car Property, including some protected California Black Walnuts.  According to the architect of the Riverside Drive Lots, they have permission from Red Car Property owner to place the fence and, apparently, butcher the trees.  The Red Car Property extends about 20' downslope, to the right of the plywood fence.

Photo enlarged from previous shot.  Maybe in another 20 years the drywall will biodegrade. 

Red Car Property: Fence

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, September 23, 2016.  Yes, there's a fence across the Red Car Property.  And yes, the homeless guy still lives in the white truck parked in front of the fence on the Red Car Property.  Look, they left us a path to walk around on the upslope side of the fenced area.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I've been inquiring as to what the heck is going on.  The fence was put up by the developer of the Riverside Drive lots.   I'm delaying posting news until I've verified information.  The more facts come in; the more questions come up.   So for right now you're getting photos.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, September 23, 2016.  Thanks to our ever vigilant neighbors, this is the most documented fence ever. Keep up the good work!  

Please send Red Car Property photos and any wildlife photos taken in the neighborhood if there is any wildlife left: redcarproperty@gmail.com.  I'll be posting photos and lengthy news here on the blog.  Photos (not always the same) and alerts are posted to our Twitter feed as they come in: @RedCarProperty

Please remember, I don't get paid to do this.   The Red Car Property is my albatross.
 

Red Car Property: Fence Across Trail, Neighbors Grab Photos When It Looks Like A Land Grab*

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #1, September 22, 2016.  Almost simultaneously, I received photos from several neighbors of the north end of the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Hearing loud construction noise too close to home, neighbors immediately grabbed their phones and took photos.  They discovered a chain link fence being put up across the Red Car Property.  It appeared as if the owner of the downslope Riverside Drive lots, currently being graded for construction, were taking the Red Car Property in a land grab.

Photo: Red Car Neighbor #2, September 22, 2016.  Since workers were removing the fence at the the top of the slope, which was an earlier attempted taking by a previous landowner of the Riverside Drive lots, this seemed like a really big land grab.  Quite a few emails landedcame in asking if there was a deal with the Red Car Property to develop the Red Car Property. Good question.

Photo: Red Car Neighbor #2, September 22, 2016.  It's so much easier when I get photos from multiple neighbors, to put together the big picture since we all have different perspectives on the property. The developer appears to have left us a path on the upslope side of the fence

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #3, September 22, 2016.  The fence arrived on a big flat bed truck.  

It still looks like they're either making a big land grab or planning on using the Red Car Property for staging and construction of the Red Car Property.  Either option is not acceptable and we've made inquiries.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #3, September 22, 2016.  By midday, the fence was complete and locked with a chain.  There was a narrow walkway adjacent to the fence. The fence blocked the flat part of the lot.  The fence does not extend further upslope.  They appear to have taken way more than the 20-30 feet of slope many downslope neighbors have taken elsewhere on the Red Car Property. It looks a little more like 70 feet back from the rear property line of the Riverside Drive lots.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #3.  Neighbors are understandably nervous, since the upslope portion of the Red Car Property still was not cleared of brush.  Many watched on TV and on line as the LAFD battle a 6 acre fire in Elysian Park the same afternoon.  

The gate is not the type of fire gate LAFD generally approves on fire roads in Hillside Areas.  (Think of every heavy steel gate you see across entrances to trails/fire roads in Griffith Park and Elysian Park.)

We've made inquiries with CD13, the Red Car Property owner's rep and the developer of the Riverside Drive lots. We'll be posting updates here on the blog.  

*This post was actually published 9-26-16, and backdated because I don't get paid to do this and other commitments have limited my time. Due to the rapidly changing landscape of the Red Car Property Neighborhood, I'm backdating posts with photos when there is significant reason to match the date of the news and photos for future reference.  There will always be a disclaimer like this on backdated posts.  I apologize for any confusion this causes our daily readers.  No, we are not on Facebook.  Photos and alerts get published quickly on our Twitter feed: @RedCarProperty