Crystal Lake Considering Wakeboard Park for Three Oaks Recreation Area

A group of local businessmen appeared before the Crystal Lake City Council on Tuesday night to discuss the feasibility of building a wakeboard park at Three Oaks Recreation Area.

Representatives from the Copley McGinnis Group, LLC, told city council members a wakeboard facility at Three Oaks, located on Route 14 in Crystal Lake, would appeal to families, novice users, wakeboard enthusiasts, semi-pros and professionals throughout the region.

Wakeboard parks consist of an electrical-powered system that pulls boarders across the water instead of a using a boat. The boarders can perform tricks and jumps. The wakeboards look similar to snowboards. 

"There are 15 parks like this in the U.S.," Pat McGinnis said. "This would be one of the premiere parks in the country."

The wakeboard facility would be built on the southeast corner of the smaller north lake at Three Oaks Recreation Area. The amenities would require five to six towers, cables and pulleys. The towers would stand about 32-feet-tall.

"The cables run on electricity, they're not very loud, and you can barely hear anything," Charles Copley told city council members.

The development also would require construction of a small parking lot, office and concession stand area. 

Last fall, council members during a workshop meeting discussed the prospect of adding a wakeboard park at Three Oaks. The council directed staff members to solicit proposals from interested developers.

The city received three plans - two from Crystal Lake developers and one from a Texas company. After reviewing all three, staffers deemed the McGinnis Copley proposal as most "advantageous" to the city. 

Most city council members were enthusiastic about the facility, saying it would enhance the site's recreational offerings and potentially lure more visitors to city restaurants, shops, hotels and other businesses.

"We've already established Three Oaks as a destination area for the region," Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley said. "As long as we keep our residents first and not deprive them of use of the facility... and we need to stay ahead of the parking (needs). I think overall, this will take this facility to another level."

Council member Brett Hopkins, while impressed by the details of the plans, told the developers he is concerned about the aesthetics of the towers. 

"The first thing you see when you drive down that hill (at the entryway of Three Oaks Recreation Area) is the North lake," Hopkins said. "If you drive down and see cables, I'm not going to be for it. For me, personally, that's a showstopper, especially considering plans for the boardwalk."

Developers said the towers would be built in such a way to blend in with the surrounding landscape and elevations. The group is working with engineers and architects involved in the original development of Three Oaks Recreation Area, city documents show. 

From here, the Copley McGinnis Group will create a site concept plan and pay for a traffic analysis. The developer and city also need to pen a property lease agreement, which will need city council approval. 

Additionally, the developers need to acquire a special-use permit for the wakeboard park, and follow the normal process of appearing before the city Planning and Zoning Commission with final site and facility development plans.