Corralitas Drive: Feeling Exposed

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, July 26, 2016.  Neighbors on the short end of Corralitas Drive are feeling awfully exposed to the 2 Freeway since CalTrans cut down trees in the past month.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

With only about 50' of guard rail near the freeway signs (in the above photo), neighbors don't want to let their kids play out in the street after CalTrans cut down trees since the Silver Lake Fire.  Neighbors directly across the street from the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway, are asking for a sound wall and trees.  The 50+ year old Eucalyptus trees (the pile of trees in the above photo) did prevent more than one car from flying off the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway in 2015.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, August 10, 2016.  Corralitas Drive south of the Rosebud Overpass on the 2 Freeway used to have a lush stand of trees to block the view of the freeway.  Now, living next to the 2 Freeway is louder, dirtier and less safe.  

Last month, a CalTrans representative told me the vegetation along our portion of the 2 Freeway was originally planted for erosion control on the steep slope.  He said trees on the freeway do not block sound, clean the air nor serve a safety purpose.

Worth noting in both of these photos is the scale of the cut wood, trees and retaining walls in relationship with the workers, heavy equipment and trucks.  There are only 8 houses on this part of Corralitas Drive.  Six homes lost a bucolic view when the freeway was built in 1960.  (Two homes were built in the last decade.) 

CBS Los Angeles posted a collection of photos from the Silver Lake Fire by photographer Matt Hartman, Shorealone Films.  The photos primarily show the 2 Freeway on fire.
 

Silver Ridge Way: How Many Coyotes Do You See In This Photo?

Photo: Joan Stevenson, April 14, 2015. I can't tell you how often people say they've never seen a coyote in the neighborhood.  They do blend in well with our dry hillsides.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Got Chickens? Stevenson's neighbor does.   Tuesday morning, Stevenson awoke to the sounds of barking coyotes and panicked chickens.  If you've got chickens, be a good neighbor & let your neighbors know so they can make an informed decision about letting their cats and small dogs outside.  Fences are not a deterrent to coyotes.

Photo: Joan Stevenson, April 14, 2015 (enlarged from the upper photo).  There were at least 2 large male coyotes up on the neighbor's retaining wall, watching the chickens in the pen below.  A third coyote may be between the other 2.  

The backyard chicken craze must be easy pickings for Silver Lake  coyotes.

In the 25 years I've lived here, I'm always amazed at how well adapted coyotes are to the urban wilds of Silver Lake & Elysian Heights.  They hunt in packs, using parked cars for cover.  One coyote acts as a friendly decoy to lure a curious off leash dog toward them.  Meanwhile the other 2 coyote are lying in wait on either side of a parked car ready to ambush the unsuspecting dog.  Neighbors describe similar encounters on public staircases. 

Click here for Dept of Animal Services: Living with Wildlife information

Corralitas Drive: Paver Arrived Yesterday

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, March 23, 2014.  In what is shaping up to be the fastest repaving ever of Corralitas Drive, we hope this is the new model of efficiency for the City and not just an anomaly because of the nesting raptors.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Stormwatch "Art"

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, November 21, 2013.  A few days ago, some pop art graffiti showed up on the retaining wall on the 2 Freeway at Corralitas & Rosebud.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

It's the first real rain since July 11.  We're collecting rainfall totals in the Corralitas rain gauge:

November 20-21, 2013: 0.6"
Season to Date: 0.7"

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.