Background:
A local attorney named Eustace Hochstetler bought much of land north and east of Oakwood Lake with hopes to build a subdivision. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before he ran into funding problems, which eventually led him to lower his ambitions; he settled on building a small neighborhood around Oakwood Lake, which grew in popularity with those who worked at Folsom Tech Park (now River City University). At its peak, there were about 30 homes surrounding Oakwood Lake. After Mr.
Location :
by a damming of Stony Creek to form a reservoir for municipal and industrial use. In 1948, an amusement manteca water park opened on its shores called Oakwood Beach. It featured a large swimming pool and several rides including a roller coaster and Ferris wheel. However, they were unable to do so because of environmental concerns about pollution from the defunct amusement park’s septic system that had leached into groundwater beneath it since it closed in 1974.
History:
Oakwood Recreation Area was a recreation area in San Jose, California. The park featured several facilities including: biking trails, two swimming pools (one indoor, one outdoor), two campgrounds with 200 campsites total, fishing ponds stocked with catfish and bass, and most importantly a large waterslide complex containing 8 slides constructed by Ed Dill that were located below ground level.
Community Reactions:
The town is going to have a public meeting about what to do with that plot of land, but nobody knows anything. Oakwood residents are curious about how it will affect them. I think it’s terrible, said an Oakwood woman who wanted to remain anonymous. Who wants a bunch of apartments in their neighborhood? added her husband, echoing her concern. It just doesn’t make any sense!
Future Plans:
The developer has submitted its plans to city council, and despite strong opposition from locals and environmentalist groups, it appears that development is likely to go ahead. If approved, construction will begin later in 2008 with completion scheduled for some time in 2011. There is a popular local rumor that a mermaid lives at Oakwood Lake, but there are no records confirming or denying such reports.
