^^What a view!
cb, I think you’re knocking this one out of the park. I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
I think the railroad ties are fine. I’d be more concerned with the 2-color fencing to the right. Is all of that yours? Where, exactly, does your property begin? How about making the fence uniform and putting a simple garden gate across the path before the bend? Could you put some kind of inexpensive, drought resistant ground cover to the left of the path? Or cover it with that weed-resistant ground cloth covered by mulch?
Is this the path that goes to the green gate? If so, I am disoriented! 
We are talking about the path that goes to the green gate. We pulled out all that ice plant and weird fence thing that is in Marilyn’s google photo.
Yes, I hate hate hate the neighbor’s new fence. He put that fence up as a negotiation with me. I needed to get privacy between the parking area at the lookout and my living room windows. He said he would put up a 6’ fence across the front of his yard if I would agree to keep the short fence between the back of his yard and my yard. This allows him to continue having his view across my front yard to the ocean. I had every right to put up a 6 ft fence.
You can see what he had prior to the new fence in Marilyn’s google link above. Two toned ‘natural’ and ‘white’
So, he built the new fence. He refuses to let me stain it or anything. The rest of his fence behind all those bushes and trees are weathered. He says he wants the ‘natural’ look. Unfortunately it is a total weird eye sore against my white stucco pillars. Nothing I can do about it. I’m hoping it might ‘weather’ towards grey or something by October.
Love love the drought tolerant ground covers. I am not very knowledgeable about plants and that was very helpful. I will look for some of that ground cover and see if we can get it established with hand watering for awhile.
Property does not begin until the white pillar. The right corner of the first white pillar is the corner of legal property line. The pathway area is in an easement where a sidewalk and curb planting would normally be on a regular street. And, I can landscape the ‘easement’ area out in front of my wall also.
You should see our lookout area now (referencing Marilyn’s link above). The City is doing new sewer lines in the area and they have chosen the entire lookout area to ‘stage’ huge huge equipment and supplies. For example, there is a pile of heavy old man hole covers out there. We cannot park there and right now none of the sunset watchers can park anywhere. It’s been very quiet out there!
I am just crossing my fingers that they don’t ever make it to tearing apart and blocking the alley in the back of the house in the next 5 months. That would be a disaster as we were trying to finalize driveway, fences, deliveries of big stuff, etc.
Oh, that’s what the equipment was! We saw it from Santa Barbara on the way to Farmers Market and thought it was something you were using for the driveway maybe.
Will the new sewer lines be good for you?
The railroad ties don’t bother me a bit. They’re weathered and unobtrusive looking IMO.
New sewer lines down the alley don’t really add any value to my property. And, the mess of stuff in front of the house is not helping curb appeal. Even worse if they shut down alley in back and start tearing it apart.
Is there any way you can find out from the city what the plans for the alley? Or even their time line? We went through something similar last summer but the city here was pretty good with communication regarding dates and the length of the project, what street would be affected when, etc…
The railroad ties don’t bother me, nor does the neighbor’s high fence. People won’t care about the entrance – which they will understand isn’t part of the property – once they get into the house and see what you’ve done, see the views, etc. Yes, add some drought-resistant ground cover up front, but then I don’t think you should worry about it anymore. It is what it is.
Curiosity question: why does the street not go through? (Del Monte)
^ Here’s the street view from the bottom:
https://■■■■■■/maps/gmvyJ9EyU1A2
It would have been pretty hard to make that driveable.
@notrichenough , thanks. I guess that is steeper/higher than it looks?
Is that just an empty lot where the white van and blue station wagon are parked?
It is not an empty lot. It is a small derelict house on one of those small skinny lots (similar to the giant tall house) where the occupants park all over the place. They haven’t been parking in the front very much. I need to get my hands on that house - it is a very valuable lot. Maybe go up 2 stories and ruin that guy’s view?? Just kidding
If you turn that Google view linked above to the left you will see a large tree in a grass area to the left of the parked cars. That dang tree has filled out for the summer and actually blocks some of the view from my property. Oh well, happens a lot around here, nothing you can do
^^Perhaps you can offer some free, timely tree trimming service before your professional photos are taken.
I just got an image of turning that slope onto a mini-Lombard street (like in SF) filled with switchbacks. It could become a major tourist attraction! :))
I think the neighbor’s new fence looks fine, really. Wouldn’t worry about it. There is no doubt that planting something in the cleared area would look better. I was thinking that things in one or more containers would be fine, but it sounds as if you would have to worry about theft. What is that plant to the right? Agave? One of those at the end of the white fence, and perhaps a few more spaced out along the path would look good with either mulch or ground cover.