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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
Photo: Stephanie Bartron, August 21, 2015. Last Friday, a team of neighbors set out on the Red Car Property, collecting data on local trees as part of the Los Angles Urban Forest Project led by Earthwatch. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Earthwatch has teamed up with NASA to produce maps of vegetation and ground temperature using a repurposed spy plane collect highly specialized data. Paolo Perrone of Trust for Public Land (TPL) joined us. He'd contacted us to help collect field data that would be analyzed to field check the project. TPL currently holds the option to purchase the Red Car Property as a park.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 21, 2015. As with all things Red Car Property, it's never as easy as it sounds. Many of the trees are in the steep slopes - in these photos - that go all the way up to the power lines.
We sampled a variety of trees from a defined area, identifying species, GPS coordinates, trunk diameter (half the circumference), tree condition, and took leaf samples. The leaves were sent to a lab where they'll be analyzed for size, weight and nitrogen content. Our data will be linked with the NASA data. Unfortunately, we won't have the results for several months.
Stephanie Bartron, neighbor, garden designer and co-author of The Drought Tolerant Garden, LA County Handbook, made sure we practiced safe horticulture by wiping the clippers with rubbing alcohol between trees so as not to potentially spread pests, disease or fungus between trees.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 21, 2015. We collected data from protected California Black Walnuts, Coast Live Oaks and other natives, in addition to non-native species on the property. The study should tell us which trees are better at retaining water and fighting the heat island effect.
"The Trust for Public Land is excited to work with local community members on the Earthwatch tree survey, making the Red Car Property a site for scientific research and discovery," said Perrrone, TPL project manager. "With the data collected this past Friday, NASA and Earthwatch will be able to ground-truth a tool that has global implications. From carbon sequestration to surface cooling, this data will help future decision makers incorporate trees into their urban climate change strategies. "
Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 28 2012. Dodging cars with kids & on-leash dogs, south of the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase, is trickier in the rainy season. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 27, 2011. The exact same stretch of trail without cars is more inviting to walk.
The Red Car Property is not a park, it just looks like one. A former privately owned right-of-way for the Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley Glendale Line, it is still private property that we've all been trespassing on since the tracks were removed in 1955.
Due to it's unique length, shape, grade & location, in the middle of a residential neighborhood, it is an ideal trail for non-motorized use, connecting people to parks, schools & recreational facilities in a heavily freeway & topographically divided neighborhood.
Planners took note and, for decades, included the Red Car Property as a part of a larger trail system in various State & City plans, including the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy's El Pueblo Trail (1983), a part of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor in the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Zone (enabled by State Public Resources Code in 1979); Silver Lake - Echo Park - Elysian Valley Community Plan (1984); as a key link from surrounding community to LA River in LA River Revitalization Master Plan (2007).
It even shows up as far back as 1968 in the City of Los Angeles Equestrian Trails Master Plan showing a general alignment through the hillside area west of the 5 Freeway between Griffith & Elysian Parks. The plan encourages hikers' use of equestrian trails to increase trail safety.
Since its inception 6 years ago, The Big Parade LA has included The Corralitas Red Car Property as a key link in the Silver Lake Loop as part of a growing urban trails movement using public staircases and rights-of-way, encouraging walking our neighborhoods instead of driving between Downtown Los Angeles & the Hollywood Sign in an organized 2-day hike.
The Red Car Property is not a park, it just looks like one.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 1, 2014. Once again, 140 urban hikers took the Red Car Property on the Silver Lake Loop of the Big Parade LA's 2-day, 35-mile, 80 public staircase hike from Downtown to the Griffith Observatory. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
The Big Parade stopped briefly in the shade of Red Car Canyon where City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell expressed his commitment to our Silver Lake neighborhood, in supporting our goal of preserving the Red Car Property as a public open space park. He is pleased to support the Trust for Public Land's potential acquisition. He acknowledged Diane Edwardson's vision & leadership in getting us closer to the goal.
O'Farrell also applauded Dan Koeppel, founder & leader of Big Parade LA. Through his urban trail blazing, Koeppel created a series of trail loops making it possible to connect people in disconnected communities, with parks, recreational facilities and even public transportation all on foot. We do walk in Los Angeles.
O'Farrell also reiterated his commitment to the preserving the public staircases in the district. Los Angeles, particularly Silver Lake & Echo Park, has more public staircases than any other big city. They are a part of our history and are still a vital and viable means of getting around the community.
Paolo Perrone of the Trust for Public Land spoke of the role TPL plays in land acquisition to preserve the Red Car Property as permanent public open space. TPL has the property under exclusive option with a current property owner, a willing seller, while TPL gets a fair market value appraisal, the first step toward potential acquisition.
Diane Edwardson did the usual
history of when-the-Red-Car-Trolleys-ran-through-the neighborhood-the-property-looked-dramatically-different-talk. We are proud to support and be apart of the Big Parade LA since its inception 6 years ago. And we all walked the Red Car Property together.
The Big Parade LA is still on the trail toward Griffith Park, Sunday. Follow along, or see what you missed on Twitter.
Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2005. The Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley Viaduct Footings at the north end of the property are City of Los Angeles Historic Landmark #770. It's too bad a graffiti vandal has now defaced them with brightly colored paint.
The Trust for Public Land signed an agreement with the Red Car Property Owner for an option on the Red Car Property. Read more: LA Times
City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (CD13) reiterated his support preserving the property as a park, "The area where the historic Red Car rail line traveled through the 13th District is an important part of Los Angeles history. Keeping the area open and accessible for people to enjoy has always been
important to me and I am committed to that vision. I look forward to
the day when we open this expansive new park in the community."
