Allesandro Street, 2 Freeway: Motor Homes, Dumping, Unwalkable Sidewalk, Dry Brush

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, May 11, 2017, 7 PM.  Two motor homes without license plates have been parked on Allesandro Street just south of Rosebud Ave, attracting dumping.(Click on photo to enlarge.)

This portion of Allesandro to Riverside Drive was a part of a "No Overnight Parking Zone," but the signs directly across from the controversial Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract 15-lot subdivision mysteriously disappeared when it was under construction.

Neither the City nor CalTrans takes care of the sidewalk adjacent to the 2 Freeway.  But then, it's not a real sidewalk, despite the City building ADA compliant ramps at all the intersections on Allesandro in the 1990s.  It's still a narrow strip of asphalt in a curb.  The lack of street addresses prevent all but the most persistent neighbors from getting dumping removed by the City.  Weeds, trash, dumping and telephone poles blocking the extremely narrow sidewalk are a challenge for any pedestrian.

CalTrans insists the "sidewalks" adjacent their freeways are the City's responsibility.  If homeowners are supposed to maintain the sidewalk adjacent to their homes, shouldn't CalTrans have the same responsibility? 

Wonder if CalTrans will be doing the brush clearance up on their parkway since it can no longer be seen from the northbound 2 Freeway due to the sound wall.

SR-2 Freeway: Northbound Lanes Closed At Night

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 26, 2015.  A 12' sound wall is not going to help the top floor of that apartment building on Allesandro St.  We made that point, in writing, during the EIR process for the SR-2 Terminus Project in 2009.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

CalTrans announced another round of nighttime lane closures on the Northbound 2 Freeway in conjunction with sound wall construction.  Before they started working at night last month, I let them know the hawks were nesting  - with photos - and they promptly scared off the hawks by starting work directly below the tree with the hawks' nest.  Text of the press release follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GLENDALE FREEWAY SR-2 SOUNDWALL PROJECT

LOS ANGELES / ECHO PARK - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced construction of the soundwall along the Glendale Freeway (SR-2) between Oak Glen Place and Rosebud Avenue. Closures are as follows and subject to change.

Saturday, May 10, through Friday, May 15
Northbound SR-2
8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Up to two lanes between Glendale Blvd SR-2 and Golden State Freeway I-5 
7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – On and Off Ramps & Connector to I-5 CLOSED between Glendale Blvd SR-2 and Golden State Freeway I-5

Construction dust and noise is anticipated as crews excavate and remove dirt, grind surface layers of pavement and perform other related tasks.

Detours will be posted.  Minor delays are expected.  The California Highway Patrol will be on duty.  Peterson-Chase Construction is the contractor on this $8.6 million project which is expected to complete in early 2016.

 # # #

According to the press release, more info:

www.dot.ca.gov/dist07

caltransd7info.blogspot.com

twitter.com/#!/CaltransDist7
peter.jones@dot.ca.gov

SR-2 Freeway: Sound Wall Noisy, Dusty Construction Starts Thursday Night, April 23

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  CalTrans never told us how many trees they're cutting down for the sound wall project.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Yesterday afternoon, CalTrans sent out a press release regarding nighttime grinding, digging and creating dust on the northbound lanes of the 2 Freeway.  Of course, at night, you can (and should) call 1-800-CUT-SMOG to complain to the AQMD about fugitive dust, but you'll just have to leave a message.  

Through the years, we've written extensively about the (now $8.6 million) sound walls as a part of the 2 Freeway Terminus Project.  Click here for all our sound wall posts.

The entire press release from CalTrans follows...

State of California  Department of Transportation
____________________________________________________
NEWS RELEASE

Today's Date:                              Tuesday, April 21, 2015
District 7:                                     Los Angeles & Ventura Counties      
Contact:                                       Peter Jones
Phone:                                          (213) 897-3656
www.dot.ca.gov/dist07

caltransd7info.blogspot.com

twitter.com/#!/CaltransDist7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLENDALE FREEWAY SR-2 SOUNDWALL PROJECT

LOS ANGELES / ECHO PARK - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced construction of the soundwall along the Glendale Freeway (SR-2) between Oak Glen Place and Rosebud Avenue. Closures are as follows and subject to change.

Thursday, April 23, through Friday, April 24

Northbound SR-2

8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Up to two lanes between Glendale Blvd SR-2 and Golden State Freeway I-5

7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – On and Off Ramps & Connector to I-5 CLOSED between Glendale Blvd SR-2 and Golden State Freeway I-5  

Construction dust and noise is anticipated as crews excavate and remove dirt, grind surface layers of pavement and perform other related tasks.

Detours will be posted. Minor delays are expected. The California Highway Patrol will be on duty. Peterson-Chase Construction is the contractor on this $8.6 million project which is expected to complete in early 2016.

Caltrans advises motorists to please “Be Work Zone Alert”.
-# # #-

SR 2 Freeway: Why We Need Trees*

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 22, 2014.  Yesterday, bumper to bumper traffic on the southbound 2 Freeway started around 7 AM & lasted until about  noon.  Pictured here from Corralitas Drive, that's Corralitas Walk - a less than 10' wide public sidewalk adjacent to the freeway & the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

*The trees on the opposite side of the northbound lanes 2 Freeway, between Oak Glen & Rosebud, will be replaced with a sound wall.  CalTrans claims the wall will go at the top of the slope and minimize tree loss - but those trees are growing right at the top of the slope in a narrow parkway.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 22, 2014.  By 10 AM the 2 Freeway was still bumper to bumper with the added  joy of heavy diesel exhaust from the hoards of big-rig trucks.  The fumes were overwhelming as there was no wind.  Traffic continued this way until around noon.

Yesterday showed how much one or two incidents can screw up the entire area.  Before dawn, CalTrans called a Sig Alert for the molasses spill from a big rig, closing the southbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights for a while.   

Then there was a bomb scare (lasting until about noon) at Riverside & Fletcher that had people scrambling for alternate routes through Elysian Valley, Atwater & Silver Lake. 

It was a good day to stay home with the windows closed & the air purifier cranked up to high.

Click here for all our sound wall posts.
 

SR 2 Freeway Terminus Project: Sounds Like We'll Be Getting A Sidewalk, No Word If It Will Be ADA Compliant

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2013.  Allesandro Street adjacent to the 2 Freeway, from Oak Glen south to somewhere vaguely around Rosebud* will be getting a sound wall that won't be tall enough to shield the upper floor of that apartment building across the street.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

At last night's Echo Park Improvement Association meeting, CalTrans & Metro officials said they would be completing the side walk on Allesandro for the length of the sound wall.  Of course, there's no word on if it will be wide enough to actually walk on without stepping into the street to get around telephone poles. (CalTrans lost a lawsuit a few years back & they are supposed to include ADA compliant sidewalks in projects like this that are adjacent to City streets.)

There was no real news at the meeting other than the sidewalk.  It sounds like they are about a year behind schedule as they handed out a winter 2013 newsletter.  They are just putting Phase 1A out for bids.  No word on when Phase 1B (sound walls) will begin.  

They say the specs are finished for the sound walls but failed to bring them to the meeting.  *They couldn't tell us exactly where the southern end of the sound wall will be - a question we've been asking for at least 2 years. 

More info: Metro SR2 Freeway Terminus Project

Click here for all our sound wall related posts.

SR 2 Freeway Terminus Project: Update TONIGHT At EPIA Meeting, 7PM

Photo: Smith Family Archive, 1961.  The 2 Freeway looking southbound from the top of the Corralitas Public Staircase.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

CalTrans & Metro will present the latest 2 Freeway Terminus project update to the Echo park Improvement Association (EPIA).  The meeting is open to the public.

TONIGHT

Thursday September 4, 2014

7PM

Williams Hall at Barlow Hospital 

2000 Stadium Way

in Elysian Park 

A 2000' long sound wall on Allesandro Street, between Oak Glen & Rosebud, is in the next phase of construction set to start this winter. Go to the meeting & ask questions.

We've written ad naseum about proposed sound walls since 2009.
 
In 1962, Echo Park & Silver Lake activists stopped the 2 Freeway (an already approved project) from further dividing our communities.  By then, the 2 Freeway was complete through our part of the neighborhood, permanently leaving Corralitas Drive with one means of vehicle access. (Echo Park has a rich history of community activists speaking up for lost causes.)

SR 2 Freeway Terminus Project: Planned Sound Walls, The View From The Hills

All photos: Diane Edwardson, 2013.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It's hard to grasp the scale of the 2000 foot long sound walls planned for the 2 Freeway between the northbound lanes and Allesandro on the Echo Park Side.  It's even harder to get photos to illustrate the scale, so here's what we've published before.  Above is the view from the top of 18-Acre Elysian Park Parcel  at the end of Echo Park Ave facing toward Silver Lake.  Whitmore is the street leading down to the freeway.  The yellow line is a portion of the planned sound wall between Oak Glen & "north of El Moran Way."

CalTrans & Metro were genuinely perplexed by the comments from the community that we would be able to see the sound walls from the opposite side of the freeway.  Photo above is from Silver Ridge Ave in Silver Lake.

The sound wall at Oak Glen will be 10' - 12' tall.  It will only dampen the sound for the people who live on the first floor of that apartment building across the street on Allesandro.  If you live upstairs or further up hill, the sound wall will have no effect whatsoever.  Photo above from Fair Oak View Terrace in Silver Lake.

CalTrans is attempting to define the 35-40' tall Brazilian Pepper Trees as shrubs so they don't have to tell us they're cutting them down, nor replace them.  Last summer, they told us they would not be planting trees, nor would they be planting anything on the freeway side of the wall.  So Silver Lake will have a stellar view of the Great Wall of Echo Park's graffiti.  Photo above from Allesandro Way in Silver Lake  looking toward Whitmore.

Links:
CalTrans/Metro PR
Cal Trans 1 Page Fact Sheet 
Great Wall Of Echo Park: The Eastsider  
All our sound wall posts

SR 2 Freeway Terminus Project: CalTrans Still Not Specific On The North End Of The Planned Sound Wall

All Photos: Diane Edwardson, 2013.  CalTrans & Metro sent out an e-newsletter last week to say, among other things, they'll start construction on the 2000' long sound walls north of Oak Glen adjacent to the northbound lanes of the 2 Freeway & Allesandro sometime in winter 2014/2015.  The newsletter was still short on specifics like where exactly the north end of the wall would terminate.  A CalTrans fact sheet states the wall will extend to "north of El Moran Way."  It fails to say how far north of El Moran it will extend.  It's only a few hundred feet north to the Rosebud Ave underpass.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The newsletter also says CalTrans will be preserving trees where possible.  One neighbor called Peter Jones, the CalTrans flak listed in the newsletter, asking questions about the exact number and location of trees to be removed.  CalTrans does not have an answer yet, despite our persistent questioning since 2009.

CalTrans didn't really offer anything new in their newsletter.  No matter where the northern terminus of the sound wall is, the wall will be placed at the top of the slope.  That means, if it were to come all the way to Rosebud, it would create a huge edifice, as the slope between the top of the retaining wall & the top of the slope is a good 15-20'.  Then top that with a 10' sound wall & cut down those trees too.

The Rosebud Ave underpass as seen from the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  The controversial Artis small-lot subdivision is directly across from the section between El Moran & Rosebud.

"The Great Wall Of Echo Park: The Eastsider

Click here for all our sound wall posts.
 

Red Car Property Neighborhood: Great Training For The Big Parade

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2011.  The Loma Vista Public Staircase is known as the "Mother of All Staircases." 

The Big Parade, the 35-mile, 100+ public staircase hike from Downtown to the Hollywood Sign is scheduled for May 31 - June 1, 2014.  The Mt Washington warmup hike is May 30.

Our neighborhood is great training ground as, according to Alex Pudlin, we have 5 of the 10 public staircases with the most steps in Silver Lake.  (He counts either side of Loma Vista in Silver Lake as separate staircases - like once you go all the way up, you're not going to go down the other side?!)  Those 5 public staircases are Earl, Loma Vista West 1 & 2, Oak Glen** & Corralitas.  There are also a bunch of other public staircases* and public walkways that link to the Red Car Property, creating a great urban trail through the neighborhood.

Read about Pudlin's charts: The Eastsider
Take a Hike: The Big Parade

*Pudlin understandably misidentifies a couple of our public staircases: India is actually Roselin & Silver Ridge is in fact Silver Lake Ave.  
**I suspect the Oak Glen Stairs are actually the Edendale Place Public Staircase accessed via Fair Oak View Terrace. You'll just have to go for a hike and find out.  But nonetheless - he created a great chart of Silver Lake's public staircases. 

Allesandro St & Oak Glen: Coyote

Photo: Esteban Gonzalez, March 2, 2014, around 2 AM.  Look closely & you'll see the coyote on the right, near the first car.

Allesandro St. Near Oak Glen: Coyote Sighting

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 10, 2013.  Just after 8:30 AM Thursday, a good sized coyote walked right past Vandiveer's car, in the middle of Allesandro St. between Cove & Oak Glen, and through a gap in the 2 Freeway fence at this location.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Keep your dogs on a leash and don't leave your small animals outside, unattended. 

With the drought, natural prey animals (rats & gophers) are more scarce, so expect more daytime coyote sightings.  But then it's not unusual to see coyotes in the daytime in our neighborhood.  I also think the proliferation of urban chicken farming in our area draws coyotes into more backyards. 

Hey Silver Lake Neighborhood Council: maybe you should declare the 2 Freeway parkways a coyote reserve so CalTrans won't tear out all the trees to build a giant sound wall between Oak Glen & Rosebud on Allesandro St.  (That's why we don't have a bigger meadow at the Silver Lake Reservoir.) 

Click here for all our coyote related posts. 

Riverside Dr, Fletcher Dr, Allesandro St, Glendale Blvd: Expect Gridlock & Attempts At Cut-Through Traffic On All Our Neighborhood Streets

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 13, 2013. During Saturday's tanker fire road closures, despite clearly marked "Not A Through Street Signs" (like this one at Rosebud Ave at Allesandro Street), countless drivers attempted to cut through, only to find themselves on the winding hillside street of Corralitas Drive, from which there is no easy turn around.(Click on photos to enlarge.)

CalTrans announced Freeway closures will continue through at least Tuesday.  Read more: The Eastsider

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 13, 2013.  Traffic mayhem ensues when drivers attempt to make u-turns, left turns & right turns, all at once, each hoping they'll find a way through on our hillside streets, like the photo above (which is looking across Allesandro Street to the other side of Rosebud). It too is not a through street but it lacks a sign.  (Not that the signs actually stopped many drivers.)  

While we chatted on the street, a neighbor & I yelled at drivers to stop & turn around before driving up the hill.  That mostly worked. She turned her hose on a few cars too.  That got their attention. 

Neighbors on Silver Ridge & Lake View report drivers speeding through their streets attempting to cut through the neighborhood Saturday.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 13, 2013.  The intersection of the 2 & 5 Freeways is like a roller coaster maze of ramps, seen here from the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  

Saturday, I emailed a list of suggestions to City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell of where to place City traffic officers & barricades (restricting local traffic only on side streets) through our corridor.  I know he also met with all of the involved agencies and leaders from Elysian Valley Sunday.  Let's hope traffic control was one of the topics on the agenda.  Monday sounds like a good day to call in sick.

At least there are no Dodgers home games until July 25th!

Allesandro Street: Sound Walls, Trees & Shrubs

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Brazilian Pepper Trees are the predominant tree in the 2 Freeway parkway between Oak Glen & Rosebud Ave on Allesandro Street.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)
 
Metro & CalTrans have resisted doing environmental review on their proposed 2 Freeway sound walls.  One reason might well be, they want to classify the 30'+ tall Brazilian Pepper Trees as shrubs so they do not have to replace them.  Brazilian Pepper Trees are a shrubby tree, growing over 30' tall, with trunks 9 - 13" diameter.  
 
In last week's meeting, Benkin Jong, Metro's project Manager kept saying they did not have to cut down all the trees but said they would be cutting the shrubs.  They have been trying to call the Brazilian Pepper Trees, shrubs for the past year. 
 
We need environmental review under CEQA to measure the potential impacts of the sound walls. 
 
We need to know how many trees, including the Brazilian Pepper Trees, & their locations marked on a map, of what they will be cutting down to build the sound walls, just as any developer would have to submit for the City.  (If this were a retaining wall, it would have to go through environmental review because of the City's Retaining Wall Ordinance we have in Hillside Areas to prevent blight.) 
 
We also need to know how many replacement trees & their intended locations on a map, in other words: a landscape plan.   Simply planting ivy is not enough to make up for the loss of 4/10ths of a mile of trees.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Brazilian Pepper Trees (Schinus terebinthifolius) are non-native, invasive & shrubby trees, but they are trees.  They should not be confused with Peruvian Pepper Trees or Toyon, all of which sprout red "fruit."

Cal Flora lists Brazilian Pepper Tree as having minor toxicity, causing dermatitis according to the California Poison Control System 2010.

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as CalFlora and California Poison Control on the issue of toxicity.  We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research. 

Allesandro Street: 2 Freeway Sound Walls, CalTrans Still Short On Details

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 1, 2013.  From the top of the 18-Acre Elysian Park Expansion looking toward the 2 Freeway & the Silver Lake side of the Freeway, you get an idea of how many homes look down on the 2 Freeway.  The yellow line is just a portion of the sound wall proposed between Oak Glen and Rosebud on Allesandro Street.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

At last week's meeting regarding the 2 Freeway Terminus, Caltrans & Metro's presentation on the 2 Freeway sound walls were not as detailed as these photos.  They just showed a Google satellite image with a line on it.  They had no technical drawings to show exactly where the walls would go on the slope adjacent to the freeway, no section cuts and no drawings relative to the homes directly across the street from the walls.  They've been talking about the sound walls for more than a year now.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 17, 2013.  From Silver Ridge Ave looking toward the northern most point of the wall at Allesandro and Rosebud.  The Red Tailed Hawk nest is at the corner of Rosebud & Allesandro.

Since they had no technical drawings, we really don't know exactly where the wall is supposed to end.  CalTrans seemed a bit vague on that issue too.  Their satellite image shows it ending midway between El Moran & Allesandro, which would be right in the middle of the new homes being constructed in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract on Allesandro St. 

They did however say there would be NO planting of trees or ivy on the freeway side of the wall (above photo).   So everyone on the Silver Lake side of the freeway with a view of the wall, would have a stellar view of the graffiti.   Thanks a lot CalTrans. 

The Metro project manager, Benkin Jong seemed genuinely perplexed at how neighbors could possibly have a view of the wall from the hills on either side of the freeway.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 9, 2012.  From the Silver Lake Side of Cove, looking back across toward the Elysian Heights side of the 2 Freeway, the top floor of that apartment building directly across from the proposed sound wall may not benefit from the wall.  Without technical drawings we can't evaluate the benefits to even the people they are purporting to help.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  If the sound wall comes all the way to Rosebud, the concrete edifice it will create will be significant since the freeway already looms large over the street.  CalTrans said the wall would be at the top of the slope.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about trees, because that's a whole other bone of contention with Metro & CalTrans on the 2 Terminus Project.  

Allesandro Street: 2 Freeway Terminus Sound Walls Update

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  The community on either side of the steep canyon around the 2 Freeway made it clear they are not happy about sound walls coming to Allesandro St between Oak Glen & Rosebud.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Metro & CalTrans held a community meeting last night to update us on the 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign.  It was contentious, to say the least.  Read about it: The Eastsider

We'll get a proper post with our suggested next steps up on this blog over the weekend.  We apologize for the delay.

Allesandro Street: 2 Freeway - If We Have To Accept Sound Walls, We Need Some Improvements. MEETING TONIGHT

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  When they built the 2 Freeway in 1960, they didn't bother to give us a sidewalk on freeway side of the street (on both Allesandro Street & Allesandro Way & Corralitas Drive).  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The "sidewalk" is some asphalt contained by a curb which is barely wide enough for one person to walk (above photo: Allesandro Street looking north from Oak Glen).  It certainly isn't ADA accessible.  If you look closely - there's a bus stop about 50' from the intersection of Oak Glen & Allesandro.  The sidewalk is no wider there.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Telephone poles, palm fronds, dumping, weeds and soon we'll have 12-14' high sound wall to make this an even more appealing place for graffiti vandals and dumpers. I brought up all of these issues in response to the 2009 EIR.  CalTrans failed to see the sidewalk as a public safety issue, or as an issue related to their project at all.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  CalTrans needs to take responsibility for making their side of Allesandro Street a safer place to walk.  Build a real sidewalk.  Keep it clear of debris and weeds.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Allesandro Street at Whitmore: the bus stop has no ADA accessibility and no real sidewalk on which to wait for the bus.  There are also no marked crosswalks at the intersection where cars and buses often blow through the stop sign.  Once they remove the trees and build a giant wall, it's going to be a desolate place to wait for a bus. 

CalTrans says this falls under Metro's purview, they don't do bus stops & sidewalks.  However, despite being the lead agency on the project, Metro fails to see the need to make improvements to the bus stops and sidewalks as part of this project.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Since the sound walls were never given a proper environmental review, no problem solving has been done whatsoever to make a more functional sidewalk on Allesandro Street. 

Let's at least start with giving us a concrete sidewalk for the entire length of the sound walls between Oak Glen & Rosebud.  Plant a dense mixture of trees and shrubs between the sound walls and the communities on both sides of the wall to mitigate physical & psychological effects of living next to a giant wall.  Otherwise Allesandro Street will just be one big canvas for graffiti vandals, in addition to being a seriously unfriendly place to walk.  The trees along the freeway make it tolerable to live and walk nearby. 

Attend the CalTrans/Metro sponsored meeting TONIGHT:

Community Meeting

State Route 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign Update
sponsored by Metro/CalTrans

 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

6 - 8 PM

 

Mayberry Elementary School Auditorium

2414 Mayberry St

Silver Lake , 90026

info: (213) 922-3010

State Route 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign: Sound Walls Coming To Allesandro Street

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Allesandro Street from Oak Glen looking toward Rosebud Ave: it's hard to covey a sense of scale when shooting a 4/10ths of a mile long, curving roadway with trees that have grown for 50 years.    (Click on photos to enlarge.)

As a part of the 2 Freeway Terminus Improvement Project, CalTrans will build a 12 - 16' tall sound wall between the Oak Glen overpass & either El Moran or Rosebud Ave (their plans have been unclear), on Allesandro Street.  They will be cutting down all the trees along the parkway between the 2 Freeway & Allesandro St.  They will NOT be replanting the trees after the sound walls are built.  CalTrans will only be planting the sound walls with ivy on the street side only - not the freeway side.  (Who would graffiti the freeway side?)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 1, 2009.  The 2 Freeway sits below some of the steepest streets in Los Angeles, including Cove, a public staircase street. 

Sound travels up.  Sound walls will not help people who live up on the hills nor in the upper floors of some of the buildings on Allesandro St.

Earlier this year, CalTrans conducted a mail-in vote to neighbors directly adjacent to the proposed sound walls.  Neighbors on Allesandro Way voted NO to sound walls.  Neighbors on Allesandro St. narrowly voted YES to sound walls. 

Neighbors who lived more than 2 houses from either street had no say whatsoever despite the steep hillside nature of the community.  CalTrans had a complex vote count percentage based on whether you were a renter or a homeowner, and we're not convinced they stuck to their original vote counting plan within the deadline period.  

A neighbor on Allesandro St. informed me they recently received a letter from CalTrans saying construction of the sound walls would start soon.  Thus, the rash of "for rent" signs along Allesandro St. last month.

See all our sound wall related posts.

Metro/CalTrans is holding a meeting June 13, 2013 to update the community on the status of the 2 Freeway Terminus Improvement Project.  The sound walls on Allesandro St between Oak Glen & Rosebud are a part of the Terminus Project.

Click here for meeting info from Metro

State Route 2 Freeway Terminus Project: Here We Go Again, Community Meeting Next THURSDAY*, June 13, 2013

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 1, 2009.  This project has been in the works since Jackie Goldberg was our City Councilmember, the original goal was to remove the flyover ramp altogether to improve safety. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

June 13, 2013, Metro & CalTrans will hold a community meeting to update us on the status of the 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign.  The email notice they sent out 2 days ago said nothing of the sound walls they intend to build as a part of the project on Allesandro Street between Oak Glen & Rosebud Ave.  However, we will highlight the sound wall issue over the next week since we've photographed the neighborhood extensively through the years. 

Community Meeting

State Route 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign Update

 

Thursday, June 13, 2013*

6 - 8 PM

 

Mayberry Elementary School Auditorium

2414 Mayberry St

Silver Lake , 90026

info: (213) 922-3010

 

 

Handy links:

Metro's SR2 Freeway Terminus Project

All our sound wall related posts

*Correction: An earlier version had the day listed as Wednesday June 13, the date is correct, the day has been corrected to THURSDAY June 13, 2013. 

 

2 Freeway: CalTrans Negligent

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  This fence has been unlocked and wide open for at least a few weeks, if not months.  Location: Allesandro Street, a few hundred feet north of Oak Glen.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Like any developer who wants the community to embrace its  plans, Caltrans has been leaving gaping holes & damaged fencing along the 2 Freeway, allowing dumping to pile up and they've been killing off the trees through neglect since at least 2009 before the EIR was published for the 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign. 

Allesandro Street between Oak Glen & Rosebud will be getting a sound wall 12-16' tall  - about 0.4 miles long.  CalTrans will be cutting down all the trees along that stretch of Allesandro, only planting ivy in place of the trees.  For now Allesandro Way will not be getting a wall.

Click here for all our sound wall related posts.

Click here for all our 2 Freeway Terminus related posts.

Spring Cleaning: Silver Lake Style

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  The Adelbert trail cut-through to the Red Car Property has some new trail markers.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  The Gilroy Overlook Lounge on Lot C of the Red Car Property moved to its present location a few weeks ago, along with some wicker furniture and area rugs.  The leather couch is all that remains.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  A month or two ago, ago a Brazilian Pepper Tree in Red Car Canyon was butchered after a branch broke.  Since then, the pile of debris has been growing with other garbage dumped in the canyon. 

NOTE TO LAKE VIEW AVE NEIGHBORS: Look behind your fence!  Paint over the graffiti.  You're not helping the "broken window" effect by ignoring what happens on the other side of your fence.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  Allesandro Way at Earl St.  A couch and mattress have awaited pick up on this part of Allesandro Way for months.  They seem to have migrated to the intersection of Earl St because the City won't pick up just any old mattress & couch without an address, no matter how many times the neighbors call it in. (They wouldn't want to pick up the wrong couch & mattress!)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  A box spring awaits a new home at the corner of Oak Glen & Allesandro Way.  Again, with no address, it may have a long wait.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  One of several Christmas Trees still lining the "sidewalk" on the 2 Freeway side of Allesandro Street - this one is between Walcott & Whitmore. 

Don't dump your trash in our neighborhood - or any other neighborhood. For bulky item pick-up from the City, call 311, use the City's website or the City's new smartphone app. 

Of course, neighbors who routinely call in illegal dumping will tell you the biggest problem is when dumping occurs in areas without street addresses.  Supposedly, this would be resolved with the smartphone app, but neighbors who try reporting illegal dumping that way don't always get it picked up.