St. Andrews Square Neighborhood Association

OIL IN ST. ANDREWS’ BACK YARD??

Dec 06, 2000

If you were in the neighborhood during the month of August, you probably passed the empty lots on First Street between St. Andrews and Manhattan and were amazed to see some huge oil rigs stationed there and drilling deep. Did someone strike it rich? Hardly! In case you didn?’t hear it from the rig operators, here?’s what happened. In midsummer, a boggy area was noticed on the western side of the lot, where the Doolittle flats used to stand. By August this bog was looking like an oily sludge; that?’s when property owner Jerry Illoulian called in help. First came the DWP with huge backhoes. They discovered water seeping up from a large underground pool?— an old well of some sort. But the DWP couldn?’t stanch the leak. Finally oil tankers were brought from Santa Barbara to get to the bottom of the problem ?— some 700 feet down! They pumped out and carted away all the remaining liquid, mostly water.

It seems that long ago, probably before 1917 ?— so long ago that no documents have been found ?— there was a small oil well on the property. It was pumped nearly dry but wasn?’t properly capped. Later, buildings covered the site, including the home of silent film star Mary Pickford, and the (now infamous) Doolittle Flats. A year and a half ago, when these three buildings were demolished, the cap was apparently disturbed.

The good news is that the old well is now well capped and the swampy area filled with dirt. Does any toxic material reside in the soil? This has not been determined, but it will the first concern of any potential buyer.

We understand from various sources that at least two small primary schools have expressed interest in this property. One is a private school dedicated to gentle education, community interaction, and respect for the environment. Another is a charter school in formation. Both have the potential to enrich the neighborhood. But the recent history of the oil cleanup has complicated all negotiations. Stay tuned.