Community Spotlight: Carlton Landing
Situated on approximately 1,700 acres overlooking one of Lake Eufaula’s most picturesque areas, including sandy beaches, rolling hills, scenic cliffs, natural wooded habitats, and some of the lake’s finest water quality is Oklahoma’s newest town, Carlton Landing.
The town is conveniently located 20 miles south of Interstate 40 along Hwy 69, 131 miles east of Oklahoma City, 88 miles south of Tulsa, and 198 miles north of Dallas.
How it began
Founders Grant and Jen Humphreys were inspired to develop Carlton Landing, after one day in 2007 when Grant was riding through the Lake Eufaula area with his Dad, Kirk Humphreys. The elder Humphreys was considering purchasing about 1,700 acres of waterfront property when Grant said to him, “What if we develop a Seaside (Fl) like community here on the lake?” That’s when the vision for Carlton Landing was first born.
Grant’s inspiration for the development was a result of past family vacations that he, his wife Jen and their family had spent in the Seaside, Fl area. He envisioned this area as the perfect location for the type of community his family had enjoyed, but, was much closer and convenient to their Oklahoma City home.
Wasting little time, the Humphreys created a master plan for what would be named, Carlton Landing, after his grandfather, Jack Carlton Humphreys.
One of the first steps they took was to hire a world-class design team, led by Andres Duany, the renowned urban planner responsible for both Seaside and Rosemary Beach, Fl.
In 2008 and 2009, a group of top urban planners, architects, engineers, and designers joined together to begin the adventure of creating a master plan unlike anything else experienced in the region.
Their mission? To create a place developed on the principles of charm, authenticity, character, and connectivity, in other words, the New Urbanism Movement, which promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant towns that focus on the people and the concept of traditional community.
In 2012, the Humphreys family became the first residents of the new community.
The Town
In 2013, the residents of Carlton Landing voted to become Oklahoma’s newest town, under the Statutory Town form of government. This form allows for a Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Trustees, and Clerk-Treasurer. It also allows for the hiring of a Town Administrator.
Currently, there are approximately 200 single and multi-family homes constructed in the community. Each features the design elements of the Traditional American Farmhouse, including the Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and the Rural Gothic styles.
Another unique featured architectural style is the solid brick or structural masonry design. The exteriors of these homes are constructed with 3-brick thick walls, which creates a sustainable, thermal mass for efficient heating and cooling.
Master builder and old-world mason, Clay Clapman, has built 15 of the solid brick homes in the community. His innovative building style is to integrate the solid brick homes with new modern industry standards. Clapman refers to his building style as the ‘best of the old and best of the new.”
A Vacation Getaway
An alternative to traditional single-family home ownership at Carlton Landing is participation in The Residence Club, which is a collection of upscale second homes that features the closest location to the lakefront and are offered at the lowest price point of any property in the community.
The Residence Club is an equity residence club providing owners with shared ownership of beautiful fully furnished homes. Members of The Residence Club have both Boat Club and Lake House privileges.
Only seven Club owners receive deeded interests in each residence, allowing for frequent and flexible lodging privileges throughout the year.
Vacation Rentals
Several homes in the community are made available by their owners for vacation rentals throughout the year. The available homes vary in size and are listed on the community’s website.
Carlton Landing Academy
To further the town’s mission the Carlton Landing Academy opened during the summer of 2016 as the first public charter school outside of Tulsa and Oklahoma counties. The Academy offers a fresh, innovative educational model that incorporates best practices from other charter schools from across the country. According to school officials, that model is based on a foundation of reading, writing and math proficiency, but it also includes nature-centric and project-based curriculum where students can connect with nature throughout the community.
The school is currently open to students in pre-K through eighth grade.
Community Amenities
With an emphasis on family and the outdoors, it is no wonder that Carlton Landing places a high priority on community amenities. The location of the community lends itself perfectly to the many scenic lake overlooks, neighborhood parks, pools, Bocce Ball Park, Nature Center, trails, and open spaces for great family fun.
The community also hosts several special events throughout the year, such as Pop-Up Shops & Farmers Market, Yoga on the Town Green, Movies Under the Stars, crafts, Saturday Storytime, Brews & BBQ Festival, painting classes, Celebrate the 4th!, and much, much more.
Boat Club
Carlton Landing offers its residents a private, members-only boat club. This service takes away the costs and hassle of boat ownership by offering members access to a fleet of luxury watercraft. There are 4 levels of membership, so each family can determine which will fit their needs.
The Future
Sometimes, the future of something is dependent on how it was started, what are its roots, how strong is the foundation, and how has it been maintained. If the future of Carlton Landing is dependent on its beginnings, then it’s future is bright.
With a clear vision, strategic planning, strong leadership and creativity, Carlton Landing has laid the necessary groundwork for a community that is destined to succeed and even exceed its original mission.
Today, what we see throughout the community is but a small vision of what the future will be. With a goal of 3,000 homes, shops, restaurants, a K-12 academy, a destination wedding chapel, and more gardens, parks and public spaces, Carlton Landing will lead its residents and visitors far into the future with a community that is aesthetically beautiful, sustainable, and responsible.
The Humphreys’ direction to designer Andres was simple, yet complete: Create a place that will enchant people, foster a strong sense of community, and will encourage a healthy lifestyle. Carlton Landing’s walkable master plan designed according to the tenets of New Urbanism was his enlightened response.
To learn more about Carlton Landing, please visit their website: www.carltonlanding.com.
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