“After several years of working with the Corps of Engineers, this decision is a major win for Carlton Landing!” said Grant Humphreys, Town Founder. “Until now, many of the initiatives we hoped to pursue were on hold until the EIS process was complete. With the EIS now behind us, and with this decision in hand, we have the freedom to realize the complete vision for Carlton Landing. We are thrilled about the outcome of this EIS process. This decision will enhance public recreation on Lake Eufaula and allow us to realize the complete vision for Carlton Landing”.

The impact to the local economy will be significant as well. With dozens of homes already built and a new public magnet elementary school now going into second year of operations. “We plan to build several dozen more homes in the next year with businesses and restaurants to follow in the next two years”.

The next step for Carlton Landing will be to secure a long term ground lease of almost 700 acres of federal land which includes about ten miles of shoreline surrounding the community. This lease will provide for several uses on the lakefront property including hiking and biking trails, camping areas, the creation of a new nature center and a new full service marina. It is anticipated that the lease can be secured over the next several months.

It’s important to note that all lands involved in the ground lease will remain completely open to the public. “Carlton Landing is not a gated community and we commit to leave these lands open to the public for generations to come”. A planned nature center, marina as well as a network of walking and bike trails will all enhance the region’s connection to the lake and shoreline.

In partnering with The Nature Conservancy, the planned nature center at Carlton Landing will provide educational and recreational opportunities for the general public as well as residents of Carlton Landing. “The things we plan to accomplish and the amenities we will create on the leased land will be a gift to our children and grandchildren”.

The scope of the Study was no small task. The Lake Eufaula Environmental Impact Study was a project that took two years to complete at a cost of $3.5 million. “We appreciate the professionalism of the Corps of Engineers staff throughout this process. It’s hard to appreciate how complex and consuming a process like this can be, but the Corps staff put together a well conceived plan and then executed it. Throughout the process, they did what they said they would do. We appreciate that.”

In preparation for the experiment, students learned about the Earth’s atmosphere, aerodynamics, and air pressure. The module, made from a helium-filled weather balloon, PVC pipe, and a satellite beacon, transported a recording module. During the 3 hour flight, HD digital cameras filmed amazing views of Carlton Landing, Lake Eufaula and eastern Oklahoma. After more than 2 hours in flight, at an altitude of more than 110,000’ above ground, the cameras show the curvature of the Earth and the blackness of space. The module then descended by parachute to Spiro, Oklahoma, more than 50 miles from the original launch site. Upon touchdown, a GPS beacon reported its location so that a group of students could retrieve the device. A 3-minute video of the launch is available at the link below.

Carlton Landing Space Launch Video

This space launch is the first of many exciting projects to happen at Carlton Landing Academy. Students are working in the Community Garden as they learn about where their food comes from. Also, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, a new Nature Center is planned across the street from the school. “Through these kind of projects, the students can have fun and can learn firsthand how amazing our world really is,” says Jen Humphreys, who teaches art, Spanish and classical history at the Academy. “Giving students a love of learning – that’s what it’s all about.”

Carlton Landing Academy is a public magnet school of the Canadian Public School District. As one of the top performing districts in the state, Canadian District sees Carlton Landing Academy as a unique opportunity for growth. “We are excited to have Carlton Landing Academy in our Canadian district,” stated Kristi Lokey, Elementary Principal for Canadian Public Schools. “The inaugural year has gone well and we expect great things as the Academy goes into its second year.”

The Academy is located in Carlton Landing, a new master planned community on the shore of Lake Eufaula. Hundreds of home sites, many of which are already under construction, are located within walking distance of the Academy so students can safely walk to school or have lunch at home with their parents. The Academy currently includes Pre-K through 4th grade, with plans to add 5th and 6th grade next year.

The Academy is currently accepting registrations for the 2013-14 school year. As a public school, there is no tuition required. Those who wish to learn more about Carlton Landing Academy or wish to register their student for next school year can visit www.carltonlandingacademy.com.

Here are the TOP 10 EVENTS OF 2012:

#10     UTILITIES COMPLETED. In April, the first phase of paving and utilities was completed. With more than 180 lots serviced by water, sewer, electric, gas and fiber, Carlton Landing is ready for 2-3 years of lot sales.

The Boulevard, Carlton Landing – Fall, 2012

#9     THE ASSOCIATION FORMED. This past spring, the Carlton Landing Association Inc. established a management program to maintain the common areas and ensure the long-term quality of Carlton Landing’s public amenities. By the end of 2012, all developed common areas were completed and the landscape was established. The Association also secured the long-term financial support from the Town Founders so that it might remain financially viable and stable without need for unforeseen escalation of HOA annual dues (currently, just $80/month).

#8     A COMMITMENT TO CULTURE. The Carlton Landing Community Foundation, a non-profit entity, was formed for the purpose of supporting the core values of Carlton Landing – Family, Creation and Simplicity. In this role, the Foundation will serve to facilitate community programming, cultural events, and offer activities that enhance the quality of life in Carlton Landing. The Community Foundation will be funded in perpetuity by a contribution of 1% of property transfers within Carlton Landing. This will ensure that the arts and culture of Carlton Landing is strong for years to come.

August 9, 2012-Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb joined us for Opening Day at Carlton Landing Academy

#7     OPENING A NEW SCHOOL. The Carlton Landing Academy, our new public classical magnet school, opened its doors to students on August 9th. Currently, 35 Pre-K through 4th Graders attend the Academy with applications for next year already underway. Several families have moved from other parts of the state to live in Carlton Landing full time and send their kids to the Academy. They like the fact that their kids can walk to school and come home for lunch. The Academy is off to a great start!

#6     THE BOAT CLUB. The Carlton Landing Boat Club offers access to luxury Cobalt ski boats and Harris FloteBote pontoons – without the hassle typically associated with boat ownership.As a member of the Boat Club, you can say “goodbye!” to dead batteries, bent props and having to trailer your own boat. Say “hello!” to more time on the water with your family and friends.

#5     A GARDEN FOR ALL. The inaugural crop grew from the Community Garden in 2012. The garden offers students from the Academy a place to connect with science, nature and food through “The Edible Schoolyard” curriculum. Complete with raised beds, a flowing water feature and the finest chicken coop you ever did see, the garden is a great place for residents to work the soil, see where their food comes from and enjoy productive time together.

#4     TAKING STOCK OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. In 2012, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stayed on track for completion of their Lake Eufaula Environmental Impact Study (“EIS”). This process was a two-year, $3.5 million undertaking. Completing the EIS process in the spring of 2013 should allow for public amenities along Carlton Landing’s shoreline while protecting the existing natural resources for future generations.

#3     LOT SALES, LOT SALES, LOT SALES! Thirty-eight lots sold in 2012. Folks came from across the state and Arkansas to stake their claim in Carlton Landing. Most were second home buyers, but several families and empty nesters chose to be part of Carlton Landing on a full-time basis.

#2     HOME BUILDING AND SALES! Homes are popping out of the ground these days! In 2012, all initial spec homes either sold or were rented by those building custom homes in Carlton Landing. Currently, builders are at full throttle with 25 homes are either completed or under construction. The pace of construction is expected to continue with another 37 lots either sold or reserved to owners and builders. Folks often say that they’re amazed by the change happening over just a few weeks or months.

#1     WELCOME HOME, NEIGHBOR! In 2012, the first residents arrived in Carlton Landing to pioneer a new life together. While special attention is given to the amenities, the school, parks and boats, the heart of Carlton Landing lies in the men, women and children who call this place “home”.

There’s a special community forming in Carlton Landing which is not defined by urban standards or architectural details. It’s defined by a simple life of neighborly kindness and warm hospitality. We welcome home our new neighbors and invite YOU to join them in creating this very special community called Carlton Landing.

for Rally Days at Carlton Landing!

Food, Friends, Football and Fall weather!

RSVP to 918 617-7688 or email Steve@CarltonLanding.com Today

Saturday

1pm to 5pm - Enjoy live music from some of Oklahoma’s finest and

Catering by Pemberton’s and The Leopard Cupcake

5:30pm – Grill with the Town Founders at The Meeting House

8:30pm – BYOLC (Bring Your Own Lawn Chair) for our sunset movie

on The Meeting House lawn (Ramona and Beazus)

Saturday, Sunday and Monday

Walking tours will depart from The Meeting House each day at 10am and 2pm
with Town Founder, Grant Humphreys

Check out our Open Houses all weekend long

Have a great and safe weekend at the lake!

The site for the event was in Pavilion Park, just across the street from the Nature Center and the new Carlton Landing Academy. Under the shade of the pavilion, tables were covered with an amazing mix of handmade treats and refreshments. Everyone enjoyed the sweet tastes of spring.

The Easter Bunny made an appearance and was a huge hit with the kids. In fact, only had one toddler burst into tears at the sight of the Easter Bunny. Then, like horses in the starting gates, the older kids waited for the Egg Hunt to begin. In a moment, among the blur of pastel colors and unbridled kid energy, our first Egg Hunt was placed in the history books.

We want to wish you all a Happy Easter and hope that, as you enjoy the bloom of spring, you take time to realize the blessings in your own life.

By Grant Humphreys

This week, Jen and I took the kids to Steamboat, Colorado for some time in the mountains. We try to make it out to the Rockies at least once every winter so that the kids can learn to ski and play in the snow. It’s a great time for us all.

Several years ago, we bought into Starwood’s Vacation Ownership program. I want to spend a few minutes telling you about that program – not as an advertisement for Starwood but rather to describe just one of the vacation options that exist today. Back in 2007, we purchased a Starwood fractional ownership unit which cost $36,000 upfront plus about $1,400/year in annual maintenance fees. For that, each year, we get a villa for one week in peak season or two weeks in off-peak season at any one of their 19 resort destinations located mainly in the Rockies, the Southwest, Florida or the Caribbean. The whole program is designed on a points system so we can use the annual points, hold them for next year, or transfer them into a resort exchange network that includes 2,600 resorts in 75 countries. So we have options.

Our 2 bedroom villa for this week is over 1,600 square feet with a high level of finish. Granite countertops are everywhere. Plush beds with high thread count linens and warm duvets make you want to stay in bed. Technology is covered with wireless internet and HD flat-screens in each room with all the movies on demand. We have a fully furnished kitchen so we can stay in if we choose, but with several restaurants within walking distance and a free hotel shuttle to Steamboat Springs, we can go out without any hassle.

The level of service we’ve received is just right for our needs – more than a standard rental home but not that of a hotel unless we request. The villa has one mid-week service where dishes are cleaned, floors are vacuumed and all linens and towels are restocked. There’s no turn-down service unless requested. 24 hours a day, if we need anything – someone to fix a leaky faucet or change the sheets or give us more shampoo – we just push the service button on the phone and our problems are solved.

Our resort’s location is ideal – at the foot of the slopes with ski rental on the ground floor, so no hassle with the ski gear. The workout facility is fully furnished with the latest gear. In the lobby, there’s a lounge where people gather after a day on the slopes. Big chess tables with leather wingback chairs are inviting. I taught Jack, our 8 year old, how to play chess this week. We’ve made it our daily ritual to play a game of chess each afternoon over some hot cocoa.

It is life without hassle. Less time doing the chores and more time making memories. Isn’t that the reason we take a vacation?

The vacation experience I’ve just described is not uncommon in the Rockies. There are literally hundreds of resorts in the Rockies that all provide some version of this product. It’s not uncommon in the Gulf Coast, Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona or California. But it’s hard to find a comparable product in the Oklahoma/North Texas region. The resort product I described above is typically located 500 to 900 miles from your home, and due to the cost and hassle of reaching your destination (going through airport security and renting a car or driving 16 hours) a 4- to 7-day trip is usually required. Unless you have easy access to your own jet, it’s not a weekend getaway.

During the planning process for Carlton Landing, we discussed at length the resort element of the community. Andrés Duany said, “Since Carlton Landing will be a resort community, it has to great. People in the city have very nice homes in very nice subdivisions. They are accustomed to a level of quality that is top shelf. So Carlton Landing must offer that level of quality. Otherwise, people won’t drive two hours. They’ll just stay at home.”

More than ten million people live within a 3-hour drive from Carlton Landing and those people currently have limited options for a weekend getaway. At Carlton Landing, we want to change that. As a lake state, Oklahomans appreciate the lake experience and love spending time in the great outdoors. The natural beauty of southeast Oklahoma competes with any part of the country. What has been missing is the resort quality and level of service delivered at a national scale.

Now, let’s imagine another option. Imagine a summer day in the life of Carlton Landing (this time, told from a Dad’s perspective):

Imagine leaving the office at 4pm on a Friday, picking up your wife and kids, beating the rush hour traffic out of town and driving to Carlton Landing. By the time you reach the town center, your blood pressure has dropped and you’re on ‘vacation mode’. You park at the cabin and check on things inside. Everything is perfect. It’s clean and orderly – just like you expect.

You stroll with your family to a charming restaurant just one block down the street. After a great meal, you hear some live music in the park. Your kids play in the park while you and your wife join some neighbors on their front porch for some laughter and great conversation. It’s great to see good friends again. That night, from the hammock in your backyard, you show your kids all the star constellations they can’t see back home due to the city lights. At some point in the night, you realize that the kids are asleep in your arms and you carry them into bed.

The next morning, after a short trail run through the woods, you pick up a newspaper and hot cup of java from the coffee house down by the lake. You take your cup and paper to the pavilion out over the water and, as the fog lifts and fish stir the still waters of the cove, you watch a heron fly along the shoreline as the day comes to life. Life is stirring back at the cabin and, after a great breakfast on the back porch, it’s time to head out on the water.

A new Cobalt ski boat is waiting for you at the dock. It’s ready to go – charged battery, cleaned throughout, just as you expect from the Carlton Landing Boat Club. You reserved this boat online a couple weeks ago because today is the day you teach your son to ski. After a few tries, he’s up on his feet and grinning from ear to ear. Everyone cheers as he gets back in the boat and you know that today is a day he’ll never forget. You’ve totally forgotten about the hectic week you just had. The deadlines and budget reports are a distant memory. That doesn’t matter right now. Because right now, in this moment, you’re SuperDad. You just taught your son to ski.

The afternoon is full of hiking in the woods, swimming at the pool and playing on the beach. Your wife and daughter go to a cooking demonstration at the chef’s kitchen in the community garden. They bring back some fresh veggies and prepare a great dinner. There’s no set meal time at the lake. Just a great flow of cooking, eating, talking and laughing that lasts for several hours. Life is good.

Between the card games and the James Taylor songs, you see the lightning bugs start to come out. The sun begins to set and you see that a campfire has been started in the firepit at the end of the street. A few neighbors are walking that way to cook s’mores. The kids love campfire night. At some point in the night, as you rest back with your arm around your wife, you hear the crackle of the fire, the sounds of the forest and the laughter of your children. You realize that you’ve forgotten to turn on your cell phone all day and you haven’t even noticed. But you don’t care about that. Voicemail can wait. You’re living in the moment. It’s another day at Carlton Landing.

It’s just Saturday night, but it might as well be 4 days into the perfect family vacation. Tomorrow, you return to civilization. After a great weekend full of laughter and playing outdoors, the kids sleep all the way home. On Monday, you’re re-charged and ready to take on the world.

(Until next weekend, at least.)

In the moments before the event, boys and girls played in a grassy park with red, white and blue balloons. Promptly at four o’clock, the festivities were kicked off by the Canadian High School Drumline. Next was the Pledge of Allegiance, led by the local Eufaula Cub Scouts troop. Following the pledge, an invocation was offered by Pastor J. Ingram of the First Baptist Church, Eufaula.

In facilitating the event, Grant Humphreys, Town Founder of Carlton Landing, told the story of how the Carlton Landing Academy came to be. The planning process for Carlton Landing began in 2008, when internationally renowned urban planner Andrés Duany designed the master plan for the new community. “When Andrés and our team walked this land in 2008, we envisioned a new community and we knew we wanted to have a school in Carlton Landing,” said Humphreys. “We envisioned a school embedded in the community so that kids could walk safely to school, a school that could serve a broader purpose as a center of civic life, learning and culture.”

The Carlton Landing Academy will initially include Pre-K through 5th Grade. The Academy will add additional grades in future years as student demand warrants. As the school is a public school, there is no cost for tuition. Students from outside Carlton Landing or outside Canadian Public School District may attend as space is available. During the 2012-13 school year, openings in the Academy will be limited to the first 60 students. At the time of the groundbreaking event, at least 30 students had already registered.

While introducing Rodney Karch, Superintendent of Canadian Public Schools, Humphreys complimented the academic performance at Canadian. “We are thrilled to partner with Rodney Karch and Canadian Public Schools. With the highest test scores in Pittsburg County and all surrounding counties, Canadian has built a track record of academic excellence. We expect the Carlton Landing Academy to set a new standard and build on that tradition.”

Rodney Karch spoke from an educator’s viewpoint. “We are excited to see the Carlton Landing Academy break ground today. When Kirk and Grant approached us about creating a new school, we thought they were nuts. But they pulled it together and we see today that this school will become a reality. We’re excited to be part of that and expect great things for this new school.”

Following Karch’s comments, Humphreys called for the students who had registered to attend the Academy. As the group of students and their parents received a round of applause, golden shovels were distributed and the crowd made their way to the future site of the Carlton Landing Academy. Moments later, the ground was broken and cheers and applause erupted.

The event drew dozens of people from the local area as well as Oklahoma City and Dallas. An excitement for the new school was shared by all in attendance. “This is a historic day. It’s not every day you get to see a new school break ground. I’m just glad to be able to see it happen.” said Rick Gibbons, Eufaula businessman.

Parents of future students at The Academy were enthusiastic with hope for their children. “Growing up in a small town, I know the importance of a strong community. It’s great to see that same kind of community here today,” said Jen Humphreys, mother of five future students at the Carlton Landing Academy. “This school will be a part of our community. With its location across the street from an organic garden and the new nature center, I’m just so excited for my kids and the students at the Academy to have opportunities to get outside, connect with nature, and see where their food comes from.”

Background on Carlton Landing:

Carlton Landing began in 2008 when the Humphreys engaged Andrés Duany of Duany Plater-Zyberk, or “DPZ”, to design a walkable community on the shores of Lake Eufaula. DPZ is known for creating more than 300 communities such as Seaside, Florida and Rosemary Beach. Duany assembled an international team of design professionals to create the master plan for Carlton Landing which covers almost 1,000 acres. The plan includes walkable streets, community pools, parks, a school, retail and restaurant areas and an organic farm. The community will be both “real” and “resort” with a mix of full-time residents and secondary home owners.

For more information about Carlton Landing, visit www.carltonlanding.com or call (888) 619-1889.

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