LAFD Declares Red Flag Parking Restrictions Will Be In Effect Again Thursday

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, December 5, 2017.  Tuesday, neighbors who parked on the Freeway side of Corralitas Drive, in defiance of the Red Flag Day No Parking signs, got $68 tickets.  The point of the freeway side of the street being clear on Corralitas, where vehicle  access is extremely limited, is to have consistent access for emergency vehicles while leaving the street open for neighbors to escape safely.

After first lifting Red Flag parking restrictions 8 AM today, LAFD has called a Red Flag Day for tomorrow, Thursday December 7, 2017, beginning at 8AM.  Text of the message sent:

DATE/TIME: 12/06/2017 / 03:11:53PM

SUBJECT: RED FLAG PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT

The City of Los Angeles has declared that Red Flag No Parking Restrictions to be in effect starting 8:00 AM on 12/07/2017 and will remain in effect until further notice.

For additional information please visit our website at: http://notify.lafd.org/redflag OR call 3-1-1. Thank you for your cooperation.

Note: The Call Center's operating hours are from 08:00 AM to 4:45 PM daily including weekends and holidays.

Ref:notify.lafd.org-37005

Reminder: Keep A Fire Lane Open*

*Post originally published July 2, 2015.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2014. Last October's fire on the slope between Lake View Ave and the Red Car Property (caused by a blown transformer), showed just how tricky it is for the LAFD to navigate our narrow winding streets.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Luckily, there was no wind and the damage was confined to the brush on a slope where homeowners had done their brush clearance.  A lot of neighbors on Lake View got a wake up call about the importance of keeping a lane of traffic open for emergency vehicles.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2014.  Most neighbors on this part of Lake View already  took brush clearance and tree trimming seriously. 

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, August 13, 2010.  Riverside Place is one of the narrowest streets in the neighborhood.  Many of our streets have only one access point.  It's not just the 4th of July when we need to keep a lane of traffic open to for emergency vehicles, but all year round.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 22, 2012.  LAFD Company 56 is our local fire station and they are about the only crew with a small truck who really know the intricacies of our often substandard hillside streets, as seen above on Peru and Walcott in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists Tract. 

Some of our narrow streets and "corners" have hairpin turns and steep grades and only one means of access.  Don't block the street because you couldn't walk a few hundred feet.  If it's too far for you to walk, it might be time for you to clean out your garage and park in it.   

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015.  The short end of Corralitas is the widest and flattest part of the street.  It's also only part of the street where people can park cars on both sides. 

A few minutes before the above photo, I watched as a LAFD ladder truck, responding to the same call, made several attempts at a left turn from Rosebud onto Corralitas.  It could not make the turn.  This compact fire engine LAFD 220 was already on scene of the car accident.

Since record drought and 4th of July fireworks (that started in May) have hillside homeowners a little more on edge than usual this year, we remind you to take responsibility for your own neighborhood, beyond just doing your own brush clearance.  

If you see someone blocking the street, fire hydrant or red curb, politely ask them not to park there.  If they're "unloading their car," offer to help them, so they feel compelled to move their car faster.  If you're having a party, ask your guests to carpool, wear walking shoes, park legally and don't block anyone's driveway.  We actually a sign on our front door for parties "Did you park legally? Are you blocking neighbor's driveways?"  Inevitably, a handful of people turn around and move their cars before coming in the door.  

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.

Reminder: Keep A Fire Lane Open

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2014. Last October's fire on the slope between Lake View Ave and the Red Car Property (caused by a blown transformer), showed just how tricky it is for the LAFD to navigate our narrow winding streets.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Luckily, there was no wind and the damage was confined to the brush on a slope where homeowners had done their brush clearance.  A lot of neighbors on Lake View got a wake up call about the importance of keeping a lane of traffic open for emergency vehicles.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 4, 2014.  Most neighbors on this part of Lake View already  took brush clearance and tree trimming seriously. 

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, August 13, 2010.  Riverside Place is one of the narrowest streets in the neighborhood.  Many of our streets have only one access point.  It's not just the 4th of July when we need to keep a lane of traffic open to for emergency vehicles, but all year round.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 22, 2012.  LAFD Company 56 is our local fire station and they are about the only crew with a small truck who really know the intricacies of our often substandard hillside streets, as seen above on Peru and Walcott in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists Tract. 

Some of our narrow streets and "corners" have hairpin turns and steep grades and only one means of access.  Don't block the street because you couldn't walk a few hundred feet.  If it's too far for you to walk, it might be time for you to clean out your garage and park in it.   

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015.  The short end of Corralitas is the widest and flattest part of the street.  It's also only part of the street where people can park cars on both sides. 

A few minutes before the above photo, I watched as a LAFD ladder truck, responding to the same call, made several attempts at a left turn from Rosebud onto Corralitas.  It could not make the turn.  This compact fire engine LAFD 220 was already on scene of the car accident.

Since record drought and 4th of July fireworks (that started in May) have hillside homeowners a little more on edge than usual this year, we remind you to take responsibility for your own neighborhood, beyond just doing your own brush clearance.  

If you see someone blocking the street, fire hydrant or red curb, politely ask them not to park there.  If they're "unloading their car," offer to help them, so they feel compelled to move their car faster.  If you're having a party, ask your guests to carpool, wear walking shoes, park legally and don't block anyone's driveway.  We actually a sign on our front door for parties "Did you park legally? Are you blocking neighbor's driveways?"  Inevitably, a handful of people turn around and move their cars before coming in the door.  

LAPD is telling people if you see someone shooting off fireworks, call 1-877-ASK-LAPD. 

Red Car Property Neighborhood: Day Of The Dead, Spectacular Cloud Morning

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2014.  The overnight rainstorm brought dramatic ever-changing clouds to the area yesterday.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2014.  A  dark cloud hung ominously over the north end of the Red Car Property.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2014.  This dude caught my attention when he came running down the Waverly Public Staircase from Waverly Drive.  He wasn't exactly dressed in exercise gear,  racing to get to this position to shoot video of the Red Car Property and clouds, but he stopped when I started shooting photos back at him. He then casually walked down the stairs talking on his phone. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2014.  What was behind me?  A scenic shot, but not worth running to get.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2014.  Now that's a dramatic shot of the top of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract and it was changing rapidly. 

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: Nearly 2000' Long Sound Wall On Allesandro StreetThe Pedestrian Point Of View

All photos: Diane Edwardson, 2009, 2013. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

According to a newsletter emailed to people who went to a meeting for the 2 Freeway Terminus Project last summer, CalTrans plans to begin construction on about 2000' of sound walls between Oak Glen & "north of El Moran Way" sometime in winter 2014/2015. 

Despite another year, CalTrans is still short on details about the sound walls.  So here's a walk down Allesandro Street, from Oak Glen to Rosebud (a few hundred feet north of El Moran), along with the questions we think CalTrans needs to answer because we've been asking them since the EIR was open for public review in 2009.  If we have to accept the wall (I opposed it from the beginning), we need a whole lot more in exchange for the loss of our trees.

CalTrans is putting a 10' tall sound wall, close to the fence, between Oak Glen & Loma Vista.  Will they be widening the sidewalk (heck, will they be building a real sidewalk) because there is a bus stop 50' feet south of the intersection? 

Exactly how many trees, including the Brazilian Pepper Trees (with their locations marked on a map) will CalTrans be removing for sound wall construction?

We need to see a plan that show exactly where on the slope the wall will go.  We need to see a landscaping plan for new trees on paper, with trees on both sides of the wall.

The northbound 2 Freeway lanes are about 20' from "the sidewalk."  In earlier meetings, CalTrans said there is no room for mature trees and a sound walls.  This is one of the few flat parts of the parkway, most of it is slope.

The entire length of Allesandro on the freeway side needs a real walkable sidewalk.  It is only asphalt encased in a concrete curb and barely passable by one person, let alone ADA accessible. 

North of Loma Vista, the longest portion of the sound wall (1530'), will move to the top of the slope.  The slope on the 2 Freeway parkway increases in height & becomes steeper & narrower as Allesandro moves closer Riverside Drive.

It would be really helpful if we knew exactly which trees CalTrans will be removing.  We won't see trees this size in our lifetime.  They were planted when the freeway opened in 1962.

The bulk of the trees are Brazilian Pepper Trees which CalTrans would prefer to call a shrub so they don't have to enumerate or replace them.  But those are some 40' tall, shrubby trees.

North of Whitmore, a very long retaining wall is adjacent to "the sidewalk." It varies in height from 6 to 10' tall and is constantly hit by graffiti vandals.

Through this section, the sound wall would sit at the top of the steep slope.  So there would be 2 walls creating a 25-30' edifice on Allesandro.  Ask CalTrans for technical drawings of the walls, with section cuts, with the existing trees marked on the plans, so we can see exactly where wall go.

If we have to accept a the eyesore of sound walls CalTrans needs to widen & give us a real walkable side walk for the entire length of the wall.  Trees are important psychologically & physically for living and walking near the freeway.

At Walcott Way, the steep slope appears to be 20' above the top of the roughly 6' retaining wall. 

Same location as previous photo, you can see the narrow parkway does not allow much room for wall construction & trees.

At El Moran, across from the Artis small lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract,  the retaining wall is about 9-10' tall, while the slope only gets steeper.

Rosebud Ave is only a few hundred feet north of El Moran.  Ask CalTrans exactly where the sound wall will end?  Their PR states, "north of El Moran Way."

The View From The Hills.

We've written about sound walls a lot.  Click here for all our sound wall posts

Great Wall of Echo Park: The Eastsider

CalTrans 1-page Fact Sheet
CalTrans Metro Newsletter

Corralitas Drive: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract Neighbor, 1973. Eucalyptus trees, while non-native, quickly grew tall to break up the stark effect of the barren wasteland of the 2 Freeway, completed in 1962.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're tracking rainfall collected in the Corralitas rain gauge:

November 28-29, 2013: 0.4"
Season to Date: 1.1"

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: 2009-2013, Not So Spiritual Anymore

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 17, 2009.  In 2009, neighbors lost their final appeal against the controversial 16-lot subdivision of the former "garden lots" in the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  The nearly 4-acre parcel was an urban forest which was originally designed as open space in the 1905 subdivision.   (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Alissa Walker, May 19, 2012.  Planet Home Living & VanDaele Homes graded the hell out of the slope after cutting down almost all of the trees on the entire parcel in 2012.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  The Orange County office park aesthetic will soon be taking over Silver Lake & Echo Park as the same developers have quite a few projects in the works in our area. 

Can't wait 'till CalTrans cuts down the trees & builds sound walls on Allesandro Street to really enhance the neighborhood. 

Semi Tropic Hell: Living Up To Its Name

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 5, 2013, 3:50 PM.  The heat island effect surrounding the Artis development just grew more intense this weekend, with the taking down of 90% of a 60' tall, non-native Ficus tree at the "corner" of El Moran & Alvarado.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

This was one of about 5 large trees remaining of the nearly 4-acre hillside urban forest, clear cut by the developer in 2012 to make way for the controversial 16-lot subdivision (15 single family homes; 1 "open space" lot). 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 5, 2013, 3:51 PM.  The 10% tree that remains is balancing precariously against the power lines leading to the top of the hill.  It seemed a bit dangerous and there was no DWP or Fire truck standing by in a Red Flag Warning day. No work occurred on Sunday.

It's incredibly hot on this slope since we lost the nearly 4 acres of trees here, next to the 2 & 5 Freeway heat islands.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 22, 2013.  It looks like the tree had been the victim of some bad tree trimming on the El Moran Street side.  But that's no reason to take down the entire tree.  Now it's so dangerous they have to take it down. 

The developer's tree report submitted to the Board of Public Works in 2011, as a part of the permit process for removing the protected native trees, identified this tree as a "high quality tree" (but somehow only stated it to be 24" diameter trunk - clearly it is much more looking at the first photo).  But in the big scheme of things - non native, non-protected trees don't count.  Since they are still under construction, they may only have to replace this tree with a tree that won't reach this size in our lifetime.

Most people moved to Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Heights because they didn't want live in cookie cutter homes without trees.  Large trees add value to property, provide shade & reduce cooling costs.   

Note: "Semi Tropic Hell" is my file name for Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract development battles, which date back to the late 1970s.  The Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract was cut in 1905.

Riverside Drive: Paramount Pest Control, 1960 Another Summer Rerun*

Photo: A. Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1960.  The Paramount Pest Control building was one of the few to survive the eminent domain action to clear a path for the 5 Freeway.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Read more about  the Paramount Pest Control building on Riverside Drive at Allesandro on The Eastsider.

 

*This post first ran November 16, 2011.  The foreground grading, through the center of the photo, is for the 2 Freeway.



Allesandro Street: Existing Retaining Walls Will Enhance Prison-Like Effect Of Proposed Sound Walls For 2 Freeway

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April13, 2013.  A retaining wall for the 2 Freeway, ranging in height between 6' to 9' stretches between Rosebud Ave & almost to Whitmore along the propose path of the sound walls for the 2 Freeway Terminus Project.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

What's been missing from the discussions with the community is the sense of scale of the proposed sound walls between Oak Glen and Rosebud. 

CalTrans plans to remove all the trees above the retaining wall.  The retaining wall will remain in place.  A sound wall will be built somewhere on the slope above the retaining wall, most likely at grade with the freeway: a good 15' above the top of the retaining wall.  (CalTrans has not been forthcoming with concrete plans for the sound walls.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 13, 2013.  A wall of trees will be replaced with a wall of concrete which one day might have some ivy growing on it.  CalTrans has repeated often, trees will not be planted after the walls are built. 

There is no question that the people who live directly adjacent to the freeway deserve some sort of sound protection.  However, permanently removing 4/10ths of a mile of trees, not only visually impacts the neighborhood, it also impacts the physical & psychological health of those living nearby. 

CalTrans admits the range of the sound walls is very limited.  And if you are above the sound walls - which most homes in the area are - including those just 2 homes away from Allesandro - the sound walls will not help you.  When we suggested installing soundproofing in those adjacent homes as they did in South Pasadena along the Gold Line (in response to a lawsuit), elected officials did not welcome the idea. 

Community Meeting

State Route 2 Freeway Terminus Redesign Update
Metro/CalTrans

 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

6 - 8 PM

 

Mayberry Elementary School Auditorium

2414 Mayberry St

Silver Lake , 90026

info: (213) 922-3010

 

Click here for all our sound wall 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.