CrossTimbers Resort on Skiatook Lake

[dsjeffries]

I'm surprised that there's hardly been a mention of the CrossTimbers Resort currently being built on Skiatook Lake.  If you're not familiar with CrossTimbers, here's some information from oksustainability.org:

quote:The CrossTimbers Resort and Golf Course, to be located adjacent to Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma, will be northeast Oklahoma's first resort development in thirty years. The resort's importance to northeastern Oklahoma is undeniable as both a recreation destination and a revenue generator.

The proposed development will include a new marina for boat storage, rental cabins, a conference center, extended camping grounds and restroom facilities, RV parking spaces, trails, and an 18-hole championship golf course. In addition, developers at StateSource are planning for extensive residential development around the resort while working with professional land planners, architects and engineers to help create the design of this area.

The reason that plans for the CrossTimbers resort is possible is because it has been selected as one of 25 Demonstration Lakes by the Federal Government to develop and enhance the recreational use of man-made lakes.

The CrossTimbers Resort and Golf Course is dedicated to protecting human health, natural resources, and the local environment, in accordance with the CrossTimbers Environmental Management Principles. The project will be designed and constructed using the principles of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project is dedicated to utilizing the most effective, socially responsible, legally acceptable, and economically feasible methods of environmental management, pollution prevention, and resource conservation, which support the continual improvement of environmental performance.

There are going to be restaurants, shops, a conference center, cottages, trails, a chapel, houses,the marina is already open, and Lakeside Grill by McGills is under construction.

This is already starting to have a big impact on Skiatook and I can't wait to see what the finished product will be.

The website has some limited information on it, as well as renderings and a pretty good video showing the area.

I know that Tulsans tend to dislike suburbs, but I think this development, and development in Skiatook in general is more positive for Tulsa and the area as a whole.  Instead of draining people out of Tulsa and "stealing" Tulsa's profits, it's attracting new people to Tulsa.

One thing to always keep in mind is that Tulsa's assets aren't only located within the city itself...

Since Skiatook Lake is so close to Tulsa, this type of development actually is something that Tulsa can use as a marketing and strategic tool in luring people to the city along with the new BOk Center, East End, riverside developments and all the Vision2025 initiatives.

I just hope that the development this will bring to Skiatook, that the town doesn't turn into a giant sprawling subdivision.  I really wish the Town of Skiatook would adopt some SmartCodes and Form-based Codes (or at least, some of the basic guiding principles).

Some renderings and photos of CrossTimbers:













The Lakeside Grill by McGills

[Rico]

There have been discussions regarding the Cross Timbers development from time to time..

If you search the archived posts on this site you can locate a few.

Those are the best pictures I have seen of the project...

[dsjeffries]

I should also mention that it's the first resort development in Northeast Oklahoma in more than 30 years...

And I'd really like to know what music is playing the background of that video...

[BKDotCom]

quote:Originally posted by DScott28604

And I'd really like to know what music is playing the background of that video...

Sounds like Aaron Copland
[edit]or Elmer Bernstein ("Magnificent Seven")[/edit]

[perspicuity85]

The resort's importance to northeastern Oklahoma is undeniable as both a recreation destination and a revenue generator.

I know that Tulsans tend to dislike suburbs, but I think this development, and development in Skiatook in general is more positive for Tulsa and the area as a whole.  Instead of draining people out of Tulsa and "stealing" Tulsa's profits, it's attracting new people to Tulsa.

One thing to always keep in mind is that Tulsa's assets aren't only located within the city itself...

Since Skiatook Lake is so close to Tulsa, this type of development actually is something that Tulsa can use as a marketing and strategic tool in luring people to the city along with the new BOk Center, East End, riverside developments and all the Vision2025 initiatives.

That is so true.  Large-scale projects that occur anywhere in Tulsa's metro area have mutual benefits for Tulsa and its suburban communities.

[Downtowner]

Too bad Skiatook Lake is 12' below normal.  Tall Chief Cove swimming area was closed last summer. One good reason to build a lake with water inflow from rivers instead of creeks. If we don't get large amounts of rain in the Spring Skiatook Lake's newest developments could be in trouble.

[hazleton]

How often are there water issues at Skiatook Lake?

[RecycleMichael]

The water level has been lower than this.

Here is a website...

http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/SKIA.lakepage.html

Many lakes are rapidly changing. This is going to be a long drought cycle.

http://climate.ocs.ou.edu/climate_trends.html

[hazleton]

Sorry. Am having trouble reading the graphs.  What makes you say that this will be a long drought cycle?

[RecycleMichael]

Try this website...

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by Downtowner

Too bad Skiatook Lake is 12' below normal.  Tall Chief Cove swimming area was closed last summer. One good reason to build a lake with water inflow from rivers instead of creeks. If we don't get large amounts of rain in the Spring Skiatook Lake's newest developments could be in trouble.

I don't think the low water hurts any of the appeal of the lake.  People want to live and be near water, and the general beauty of the Lake won't be so affected... The resort isn't based on sandy beaches--it's the estates, retail, restaurants, and general recreation like hiking, etc., etc.  I don't see low water levels affecting anything very much...

[robbyfoxxxx]

There is also a big fight between the Osage tribe and developers, how can they develop land owned by the Osage, unless they have permission to?

[hazleton]

Where can I get more information about the problems between the developers and the tribe?

[Downtowner]

quote:Originally posted by DScott28604

I don't think the low water hurts any of the appeal of the lake.  People want to live and be near water, and the general beauty of the Lake won't be so affected... The resort isn't based on sandy beaches--it's the estates, retail, restaurants, and general recreation like hiking, etc., etc.  I don't see low water levels affecting anything very much...

If you are a boater it is a major problem if you can't get your boat off your lift and a big part of this new development is the marina. It's also makes boating dangerous on Skiatook Lake because trees were not cut to the ground during lake development. With low water levels you are at risk of damaging your boat and your passengers.

[rukovoditel]

Agree that low water levels can be problematic and dangerous, but be advised that the low water level of 2007 was not due to the fact that the lake is fed from "creeks". There was plenty of inflow (or at least as much as in other reservoirs).  The problem (as it was explained to me) was that during the period prior to the "drought" the Corps increased the outflow, due to some water quality problems somewhere downstream.  The explanation that I got was that due to the relatively clear, silt-free water in Skiatook reservoir, they drained Skiatook as much as possible and used that water to dilute the water in a downstream reservoir that had a problem.  It wasn't due to a lack of inflow.  If you look at the Corps' lake level gauges, the data there pretty much supports this assertion, since for a long time last year, they were releasing faster or as fast as they were receiving.  Finally, when the spring/summer rains started in '07, they closed off the outflow, and the lake refilled quickly.