Council member proposes plan to cap South LA oil well, put up affordable housing

SOUTH LOS ANGELES -- A council member has plans for a property in South Los Angeles that has an oil well.

Residents in the University Park neighborhood complained about the site for years as a source of numerous health problems for people living near the well.

The oil well was shut down and the operator paid $1.25 million to the city in a lawsuit settlement.

Now, the company wants to resume operations on the site and neighbors want none of it. Enter 1st District Council Member Gil Cedillo. He wants the city to buy the property to help residents with two looming problems.

The council member wants to cap the well, once and for all, and put up affordable housing. His plan also calls for a park to be built on the site.

South L.A. has half the green space compared to other areas of the city, and Cedillo says more than 61 percent of renters in Los Angeles spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent.