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.

Corralitas Drive: Disappearing Fire Hydrant, Blocked Sidewalk

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 17, 2017.  Yesterday afternoon, someone tossed the rocks from the street to the sidewalk.  Mud is about to completely cover the fire hydrant.  The sidewalk has been neglected by the current property owner for years, forcing people to walk into the street on a blind curve around which people routinely drive too fast.

The sidewalk blocked by mud has been reported by neighbors to MyLA311.

Corralitas Walk: Before & After Trees

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 21, 2016.  Prior to the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire, Corralitas Walk (a public sidewalk) was screened from the southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway by a 20 - 40 foot tall wall of trees. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 11, 2016.  About a month after the fire, CalTrans went overboard chopping down the remaining trees that did not burn.  Neighbors and pedestrians feel exposed and none too safe since there is only one small 50' section of guardrail back around the overhead freeway signs.  Now, the only thing keeping cars from flying off the freeway is a flimsy chain link fence.  Cal Trans removed the 2 large Eucalyptus trees that stopped at least 2 cars from flying off the freeway in 2015. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 18, 2009.  The wall of trees made living and walking next to the 2 Freeway tolerable, even on the hottest days.

Citywide: Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance Update, Public Hearing Tonight

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2014.  That's the controversial 15-home small lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, not an office park in Orange County.  It was built on green field, not in-fill.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The City is updating the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance and design standards for new small lot subdivisions over 20 units.  They're also attempting to incentivize conversion of existing bungalow courts into for sale homes (which is a good thing), rather than tearing them down to build a huge dense development that's out of character with the surrounding neighborhood.

Unfortunately, there's nothing specific to Hillside areas, nor restrictions on green field development.  There is, however, a badly needed requirement for shared trash bins.  The access roads and shared driveways do not appear wide enough for Hillside fire requirements of 20' and should be reconsidered. 

There's also a few references to specific sections of the LA Municipal Code without outlining what they govern.  So we've yet to review all the changes proposed in the ordinance.  As always, the devil is in the details.  Go to the open house and ask questions!

Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance Update 

TONIGHT, January 26, 2016 

Open House: 5:30 - 7 PM

Public Hearing: 7 PM

Grace Simons Lodge

1025 Elysian Park Drive

Elysian Park, 90012

Case #s:
CPC-2015-4499-CA
ENV-2015-4500-CE
Comments in writing will be accepted until February 26, 2016.  See the City Planning website for a host of information.

Corralitas Walk: Scenic, Yet Ominous Sky

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 25, 2015. Corralitas Walk is a 9'8" wide, public "walk street."  In other words, it's a City sidewalk with no street.  It was created as mitigation for the 2 Freeway taking the alternate vehicle access to Corralitas Drive from Allesandro Street. Corralitas Walk connects pedestrians and bicyclists Corralitas Drive to the corner of Lake View Ave and Allesandro Way. 
 

Corralitas Drive: Concrete Pylon Abandoned On Sidewalk By Developer

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 1, 2015.  For the better part of a month, an 8' long concrete pylon has blocked the sidewalk across from the construction site at 2612 - 2614 Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Neighbors have asked the developer to remove the pylon which was dug out of the site weeks ago.  It's not like we can call the City for a pick up.  The homeowner where the pylon is abandoned is not at all pleased.  Construction workers have been parking their trucks on the sidewalk elsewhere adjacent to his property (in the red zone), breaking sprinkler heads, killing plants and damaging the sidewalk.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 22, 2015.  The pylon makes it tricky to exit the passenger side of a car and makes it impossible to use the already narrow sidewalk when cars are parked there.  Considering how fast people drive the street, it is really important to have the sidewalk clear to walk after dark.

UPDATE 9-4-15: The pylon is now being stored on the developer's site. 
 

Corralitas Drive: Some Kind Of Lotus

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July27, 2015. This may be one of more than 2 dozen native yellow lotus wildflowers or a handful of non-native yellow lotus known to bloom in Los Angeles County, according to CalFlora.   (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 27, 2015.  In the spring you can find Annual Yellow Sweetclover off the Corralitas Public Staircase, but the leaves on this plant are different.

See all 41 identified types of lotus wildflowers in LA County: CalFlora

Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase: Time To Repaint The Red Curb At Lake View Ave

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 24, 2015. You have to wonder, would the same driver park the truck blocking a public street intersection?  Yes, the truck is parked facing the wrong way.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase at the intersection of Lake View Ave has no sidewalk.  The red curb is badly faded.  However a City street sign marks the public staircase at Lake View.

Report faded red curbs to the LA City Dept of Transportation (DOT).  Unfortunately, DOT does not acknowledge the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase between the Red Car Property and Lake View or Silver Ridge on their map.  (Yet it appears on ZIMAS, LAFD, County Assessor and DWP maps).  So I was unable to submit the request online.  Good luck getting the curb repainted since the DOT staff answering the phone will be looking at the same map available online.  

And we wonder why our public staircases are so neglected?  

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.

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

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.

Allesandro Way & Lake View Ave: 1962

Photo: Antonio F. Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1962.  The 2 Freeway sliced into that hillside where Corralitas Walk runs down the chain link fence to Corralitas Drive and the Red Car Property.  (The 2 Freeway is about 20' below the chain link fence on the right.)  Unfortunately, we don't have a good "before" shot to compare it to.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

 

Also worth noting, CalTrans never saw fit to give us real sidewalks adjacent to the freeways.  It's just asphalt with a curb, blocked with telephone poles so you can't even walk down the "sidewalk" without stepping off the curb.

 

Click here for all our 2 Freeway history related posts.

Red Car Property: Refuge From Crowded Streets & Densely Packed Houses

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 18, 2011.  The Red Car Property provides a much needed trail within the community to escape the narrow, densely packed streets that are often lacking easy sidewalk access.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Neighbors have been emailing City Councilmember Eric Garcetti asking for help to preserve the Red Car Property as a park.  Today's post is excerpted from a Lake View Ave neighbor's email.

"We've been in our home for just over five years, and were delighted to
discover the Red Car Property shortly after we moved in.  Running for
probably just over a mile, this swath of open space took us by
surprise. It has since become an integral part of our life in the
neighborhood; an inviting place for walks, a place to take the dog,
and an intriguing legacy of our neighborhood's history of public
transportation infrastructure. In an area of numerous roads and
countless homes, it provides a welcome breather for us, as well as
wildlife. It is an interesting a pleasant route to take throughout the
"back" of the neighborhood, linking homes, schools, and major
thoroughfares, and the nascent recreational development along the Los
Angeles River."

The neighbor also highlights an important, yet frequently ignored point of localized City Planning:

"LA, without question, needs increased housing density.  But there are
ample alternatives for such development in nearby places that are
already prepared with the relevant infrastructure of roads, electric,
sewer, etc.  The Red Car Property is not, and once it is changed this
open space for all is lost for good."

New Construction: Shouldn't The City Require Trashcan Concealment?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2010. It may be taking forever to complete 2316 Silver Ridge, but their trashcans are concealed. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In older hillside neighborhoods, trashcans often stay in the street or sidewalks long past trash day. Lack of space in garages, driveways and sideyards are usually the reasons for the ever present trashcans. In the 1990s, the City gave us 3 giant bins for every home. In an R2-zoned neighborhood like ours, which is primarily already existing duplexes, there simply isn't enough room for all the bins.

Remarkably, the City does not require developers in Hillside areas to build a concealed area for trashcans in new development. Nor do they even require it in small-lot subdivision, where developers are allowed reduced parking and setback requirements. Trashcan politics may seem trivial, but in tough economic times, first impressions count with home values.

Despite the lack of a requirement, faced with the challenging lot at this corner of Silver Ridge and Lake View, someone took pride in workmanship and created an large enough containment area for the three trashcans. Kudos!

Read more about small-lot subdivision and the lack of parking and trashcan space in The Eastsider.

Lake View Ave: Not A Walkable Sidewalk

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 10, 2010. In many older hillside neighborhoods, the sidewalk becomes the only place for trashcan storage. (Click on photo to enlarge.)