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While the majority of Oakland knows the property as Pleasureland, the recent town council resolution authorizing the purchase of the Heritage Hills property has a poetic resonance.
40 acres of land, even at a purchase price of $ 2.2 million, is a major commitment to a community facing state aid cuts and increased tax burdens. Bergen County open space funding, Green Acres funding, and Oakland’s open space fund reduce the borough’s commitment to approximately $600,000 dollars.
As pointed out by council member DiPentima, this figure will probably be higher as additional soft costs for the acquisition are added. Council member Stagg, a major proponent of the former Pleasureland property, echoed the sentiment of all council members who cast their votes in favor of the purchase with an eye on the future of Oakland.
The new name the council uses in discussing Pleasureland, Heritage Hills, is an appropriate nomenclature in context of the towns decision to pursue the purchase. As defined by Merriam Webster, heritage is a property that descends to an heir, and this is most likely where any major improvements to the property will take place.
General discussion prior to the resolution to purchase touched upon volunteer groups working to develop parcels of the property for public use, or of possible efforts to raise private funding to improve parts of the property. Both subjects will be discussed more fully in the future as all council members stated their belief that there will be no public funds available for any immediate improvements.
Readers looking to know about Pleasureland’s past glory, and present decline, can read:
The Journal’s article – Pleasureland, Past, Present…