An Oklahoma City developer has added a twist to the gated community concept by creating a subdivision where each house has an individual gate.
Having grown disenchanted with the typical gated concept, Ronald Duncan decided to build a development with homes that offer more controlled access instead of the entry and exit gates for the entire community.
“Security is weakened with gated communities as we know it,” Duncan said. “When you have to give your entry code to your relatives, your housekeeper and every delivery man, you’re giving away the same thing you wanted to protect.”
Quail Creek Villas is a development by Bob Duncan & Sons where each home will be surrounded by a wrought iron fence and its own electronic gate with an individual code.
Essential services, such as the fire department and utility services, will be given the code but others needing access to the residence could gain entry only from someone inside.
“I do not know of anything in the Southwest like this where each residence is individually gated,” said real estate broker Bob Linn.
The entry system also has the capability of monitoring who is at the gate.
“So you can switch to a TV channel and see if the person at the gate is who they say they are,” Duncan said.
Duncan said he’s bringing the California/Florida style development to Oklahoma City so owners could feel like they are coming home to their own private villa.
The 20 custom homes in the 7 1/2-acre addition will be built from designs by Edmond’s Brent Gibson, known for his interpretation of classical traditional and European styles.
Each design can be different, but quality and consistency is controlled by using a facade of stucco and rock with a dark-gray tile roof. Sizes will be from 1,900 to 2,800 square feet with prices starting at about $170,000.
Duncan’s family owns the Duncan Brothers Salon.
Branching off into real estate development from the hair care business is just a way of expanding his creative abilities, he said.
Quail Creek Villas is his first development, but Duncan has built homes “off and on” for 15 years in Blue Stem and other parts of Quail Creek.
“My approach to home building is a little different. I enjoy the artistic creation rather than the mechanical aspects of the process,” he said. “I get excited about doing things that are unique.”
The addition is drawing the attention of busy professionals and families seeking maintenance-free living, Linn said. It also appeals to people who don’t want to leave their homes to exercise, he said.
Amenities will included a greenbelt with lighted jogging track, park benches and a gazebo.
