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.

Corralitas Drive: Spectacular Sunset

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, December 10, 2017.  Particulate matter in the air from six fires burning around Southern California, created a breathtaking sunset.  

Red Car Canyon: Shredding Trees, Spreading Dust, But What About Insects & Pathogens?

Red Car Canyon: hope you closed your windows before you went to work today- they're heading toward Riverside Pl now pic.twitter.com/B7Hq5mjsKZ

— Corralitas (@RedCarProperty) September 14, 2017

Video: Red Car Property Neighbor, September 14, 2017.  While it's technically OK per LAFD to spread the tree shred/mulch around to help retain moisture on the slopes, it's not exactly the best thing for air quality during the chipping or shredding.  There's also the question of spreading pathogens of the dead trees.

After consulting a neighbor who is a landscape designer, and reading up on some of the local insects and pathogens, I can wholeheartedly say, if you have a sick, dead or dying tree, consult a certified arborist.  This issue is way beyond my skill set to simplify beyond the following advice.  There are too many ways to infest/infect other trees depending on the insect and or pathogen, and you may be able to save your trees.  Your mature trees are an investment in not only your home's resale value, but also the future of our neighborhood and local air quality.

We've lost a lot of large trees in the neighborhood in the past few years.  Take care of your large and native trees.  Every tree counts.

Red Car Property: Brush Clearance Around New Fence

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #1, September 24, 2016.  The first photos of the day showed workers clearing brush from slope between Adelbert and  the new fence on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It's almost October and the brush clearance is just getting done now?  Brush clearance should have been done on the Red Car Property May 1, just like the rest of the Hillside area.  Even the fire further south on the property in June did not prompt the Red Car Property owner to get the brush clearance done on the rest of the property.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #1. September, 24. 2016.  Brush clearance is always miserable for neighbors because of the fugitive dust.  This "dust" carries not only bacteria, but also mold spores that can cause serious bronchial and upper respiratory infections.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #1, September 24, 2018. When the fugitive dust turns into a dust storm, it's not healthy for anyone. 

Red Car Property Neighbor #2, September 24, 2016. Friday, I spoke to the architect for the Riverside Drive lots (the property line is about 20 to 30 feet below this large Coast Live Oak Tree).  He said they fenced-in the slope above the Riverside Lots so they could plant it.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor #2. Since so many trees have been removed in the past 2 years, neighbors watched closely when they were cutting branches from a large protected California Black Walnut and Coast Live Oak.

Rumors swirled around the neighborhood and Next Door that they were "cutting the oak tree."  According to neighbors and their photos, it just looks like branches were trimmed.  Lets hope safe horticulture was practiced so they didn't spread the disease/fungus/pests that have been killing many species of trees throughout the neighborhood.

Once again, Red Car Property Neighbors are on top of things as they happen, even if I've not been on top of the blog lately.  However, as soon as the first brush clearance photos came in, they were posted to our Twitter feed: @RedCarProperty

When we are able to verify the Riverside Drive Lots developer's statements regarding the fence with the Red Car Property owner,  we'll bring you the info here. 

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.

Riverside Drive: Chopped

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, August 15, 2016.  Last week, a large crew clear cut all of the trees and brush on a number of vacant lots on Riverside Drive between Gilroy and Fletcher. This is well beyond brush clearance.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, August 15, 2016.  A large crew worked quickly,   removing all evidence of all the protected native Black Walnuts as well as all the other trees on what appears to be 8 or 9 vacant lots.  Most of these lots are the same lots where the property owner cut down more than 15 protected native trees without permits in August 2014.  

We don't know if the property owner was fined for the 2014 tree removal.  These lots were a testament to the hardiness of California Black Walnuts, as many of the larger trees cut down in 2014 were growing back.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, August 15, 2016.  According to CD13, the developer secured a permit from the City's Department of Urban Forestry to remove 1 protected native Black Walnut Tree.  Dozens of Black Walnuts were cut down last Monday.  In addition to the numerous protected native trees of all sizes, they also removed an unknown number of significant trees (with a trunk diameter of 8" or more).  Those trees don't count.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, August 15, 2016.  We've said it before.  The City's Protected Native Tree Ordinance doesn't do what it purports to do - protect our native hillside habitat by protecting specific native trees.  Instead, it just gives developers a formula for cutting down our native trees, which are becoming more scarce every day.

Corralitas Drive: Trees Made Living Next To The 2 Freeway More Tolerable

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 29, 2015.  There was was a dense thicket of trees on the parkway adjacent to the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway.  To better grasp the scale of the trees check out the two DWP workers hanging from the telephone pole on the right.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, August 9, 2016.  For the past few weeks, CalTrans has been butchering what's left the 2 Freeway trees, many of which were indeed damaged by the Silver Lake Fire, June 19, 2016.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, August 10, 2016.  Today, residents who previously had a 40' wall of vegetation, now have a noisy, dirty constant reminder they live next to the freeway.  There are limited guard rails and now there are only 3 big eucalyptus to hopefully prevent cars from flying off the freeway.

18 Acre Elysian Park Parcel: Sand Fire

Photo: Esteban Gonzalez, July 22, 2016. Friday afternoon, smoke and ash from the Sand Fire in Santa Clarita became the dominant feature in our air quality, growing worse overnight.

Most people don't realize the vacant lot at the northern terminus of Echo Park Ave is a part of Elysian Park.  The "18 Acre Parcel" continues downslope in both directions, preserves native oak and walnut habitat and includes a basketball court on Riverside Drive.  The parcel, like much of Elysian Park, is directly surrounded by diverse residential neighborhoods, including Elysian Valley, Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract and Elysian Heights.  It was acquired by the City in the late 1990s using Prop K funds.  

LA River: Socked In

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Fog rolled up the LA River this morning. It only took about 15 minutes for Elysian Valley to disappear from view.   Above, the top of Glassell Park is barely visible above the fog.  The soccer fields at Taylor Yard are on the opposite side of the Metrolink train; Parcel G of Taylor Yard is on this side of the train; the river, Elysian Valley and the 5 Freeway are on this side of the of the power lines.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Radio Hill in Montecito Heights was barely visible above the fog.  Elysian Valley was quickly disappearing.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Going...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 10, 2015.  Gone.  I had to climb higher on the hill for this shot.  If you look very closely, you can see the tallest radio antenna poking out of the fog bank.  Elysian Valley warehouse rooftops are still somewhat visible on the lower left corner.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, December 10, 2015.  Did we sleep through the "The Big One" and Silver Lake became a suburb of the San Francisco Bay?  Seriously though, this photo illustrates the same atmospheric and topographic conditions that trap airborne pollutants close to the ground through the LA River corridor, which create particularly bad air quality conditions in Cypress Park and Elysian Valley. 

Red Car Property: Joyriders Kicking Up Dust

Photos: Diane Edwardson, December 7, 2015, 3:31 PM.  I heard the sound of a car speeding down the Red Car Property behind me.  Unfortunately, I did not get good photos but they do illustrate the dust that was kicked up.  This is another reason why the property needs to be gated to vehicle traffic.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Considering I'd just passed an elderly woman walking with her nurse and a man walking his dog, I immediately, pulled my camera from my pocket and just shot photos - not waiting to see if they were in focus.  The light was bad and the dust would throw the focus off once it got close.

The bright blue Mustang type car was shiny and in new condition, with what appeared to be 3 people inside, as it fishtailed past the elderly woman and her nurse.  I stood in the middle of the path to the wooded canyon area shooting photos.  They slowed down and turned around behind Rose Scharlin Nursery School, but choking dust was everywhere.

The blue car sped back toward India Street.  I go no better photos with my phone.

Switching back to my camera, I could at least see the dust the speeding car kicked up.

I could also see the elderly woman holding her sweater over her mouth and nose to keep the dust out.  That's not haze.  That's the 20' cloud of fine dust the car kicked up.  It was a crystal clear, but dark afternoon on the Red Car Property.  The sun had already moved beyond the top of Silver Ridge.

This is not the first time this year we've see people joyriding on the Red Car Property, putting people and animals at risk, in addition to creating a health risk with the dust.  It is yet another reason why the property should have heavy steel parking gates similar to the gates on every fire road in Griffith and Elysian Park to prevent all but emergency vehicles on the property. 

Taylor Yard: Dust Storm This Morning

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 16, 2015.  Before 8 AM, high winds caused a dust storm from Taylor Yard.  Worth noting: that bright green fence toward the lower right corner of the tree line is dust screening material.  It's not really helping those homes on the other side.    (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It appears the dust was blowing from the soccer fields, but it may have been the construction site.  It was too hard to see through the trees in those conditions.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 16, 2015.  Earlier, the dust was everywhere, obliterating the view of new homes built on the other side of the river on the lower portions of Taylor Yard and Cypress Park.  

This is not the first time we've seen Taylor Yard dust storms.  This just adds to the serious local air quality problems in the area where we have a natural topographic and atmospheric bowl that keeps the contaminants closer to the ground in the area around Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights and Elysian Valley.  

The Taylor Yard dust storms illustrate why we emphasize extreme dust control with any environmental mitigation proposed for the former rail yard.  Highly toxic dirt still needs to be removed from Parcel G before it can be developed as a park.

Corralitas Drive: Dawn Over The Eastside

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 12, 2015.  I was going to blame particulate matter for this dramatic sunrise, and indeed, it may still be the cause.  However, according to Stephen Corfidi at NOAA/National Weather Service Center Storm Prediction Center, there are a number of factors in play including faraway volcanoes, type of clouds, elevation, time of year, local aerosols and particulate matter.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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

Elysian Valley, Cypress Park: Metrolink Explains Their Health Risk Assessment TONIGHT

Photo: Diane Edwardson, January 12, 2012.  Metrolink has gotten better since 2012, but they haven't given us all the data we asked for, and then there's that issue of ongoing accountability.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Metrolink will present their Health Risk Assessment for their rail yard on San Fernando Road.   Attend the meeting & give them your opinion.  

Community Meeting

sponsored by

City Counilmembers Mitch O'Farrell (CD13) & Gil Cedillo (CD1) 

LAUSD Boardmember Bennett Kayser

Thursday, April 9, 2015

6 - 8 PM

Cypress Park Recreation Center
2630 Pepper Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90065

  

Info:

CD1: Jose Rodriguez Jose.A.Rodriguez@lacity.org or (323) 550-1538
CD13: Adam Bass Adam.Bass@lacity.org (213) 207-3015

Click here for all our Metrolink related posts

Red Car Property: Saturday Joyriding *updated 3-29-15

Photo: March 28, 2015,  10:44 AM.  A man with at least 2 children in the backseat of a new Toyota truck (with dealer paper in the license plate frame) sped onto the Red Car Property at India, fishtailing as he turned south, kicking up clouds of dirt rising 20-30 feet high.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

I lost sight of him as he headed toward Rose Scharlin Nursery School & Red Car Canyon.  In the photo above, the truck is headed south after passing the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase. A few minutes later he sped north past India toward Adelbert & the historic landmark viaduct footings, again, kicking up big clouds of dirt the entire way up the property.  

A few minutes later, while chatting with a neighbor, I watched a second, black truck speed onto the property, even faster & more recklessly.  The black truck was also heading south toward Rose Scharlin & Red Car Canyon, kicking up even larger clouds of dirt.  Police were called. A few minutes later, the black truck left the Red Car Property at India, driving very slowly up from the south. 

Photo: March 28, 2015, 11 AM.    The white truck came down from the northern end of the property, also driving very slowly. 

This morning, like any Saturday (or Sunday), I ran into a number of people out walking, running & playing with their kids & walking their dogs on the Red Car Property.  Driving & pedestrian trail use do not go well together.  This morning, I was afraid at one point I was going to get hit by this white truck as it sped toward Red Car Canyon.

*UPDATE 3-29-15: This morning, I received an email alert from Elysian Valley Neighborhood Watch citing a similar incident on the LA River path late last night.  A Honda drove recklessly onto the 12' wide pedestrian/bike path Elysian Valley.  According to the email residents made calls to 911 as the Honda drive at high speeds north & south on the pedestrian/bike path.  It was pointed out there are certain "unchecked access points" to the River path that residents have highlighted public safety issues for years.

There are LAFD approved fire gates on every fire road in the Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park & Elysian Park.  Emergency crews & park rangers have master keys to those gates. There is no excuse for The LA River to be neglected in this way.  

Similarly, for the past 20 years, we requested of each subsequent Red Car Property owner to reinstall the fire gates that were on the Red Car Property at Corralitas, India & just above Gilroy.  They are a very heavy gauge steel that cannot be driven through by joyriders.  

2 Freeway: Weekend & Evening Southbound Traffic - The New Normal

Photo: Diane Edwardson, Saturday February 14, 12:33 PM.  Corralitas neighbors were talking about how there always seems to be weekend traffic on Southbound 2 Freeway now.  Can't wait til Dodger season starts!  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 14, 2015, 12:44 PM.  Traffic continued past 2 PM.   CalTrans doesn't want to plant trees.

2 Freeway: Another Day, Another Bomb Scare, Another Morning Of Diesel Particulate Matter

Photo: Diane Edwardson, Saturday October 25, 2014.  The 2 Freeway was shut down for several hours between the Terminus & the 5 Freeway for a bomb scare this morning.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 25, 2014.  For some reason the southbound 5 Freeway ramp to the southbound 2 Freeway ramp remained open, keeping a mass of cars  and large trucks idling on the 2 Freeway between 9 AM & 11:30 AM.  Yet the southbound 5 Freeway (in the background) remained more traffic free than usual for a Saturday morning.

The steep topography of the canyon between the 5 Freeway & the Terminus plus the lack of wind meant all of the pollution from the southbound lanes concentrated close to the homes on the Silver Lake side of the 2 Freeway.  (CalTrans doesn't want to give us more trees - they cut down the trees adjacent to Corralitas Drive in the above photo 20 years ago.  After years of letter writing & phone calls, we got some shrubs - not trees - most of which they killed when they stopped watering them.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 25, 2015.  At one point I noticed cars were being directed OFF of the on-ramp to the SB 2 Freeway at Allesandro Elementary School on Riverside Drive.  (Usually the traffic is going the opposite direction on the ramp in the foreground).

Today's bomb scare story: The Eastsider

Wednesday's bomb scare at Riverside Fletcher: The Eastsider

Why We Need Trees

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: 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