Housing

What this section is

The housing chapter guides what kinds of homes can be built in Carlton, where, and under what conditions — including seasonal residences and lakeside housing patterns.

What we've heard

Housing ranked below other major planning categories in the survey — but responses still identified several considerations. Residents want to maintain Carlton's rural character and open spaces while being thoughtful about where and how new development occurs.

The draft Future Land Use Map (FLUM) proposes three residential classifications:

1. Rural Residential / Large Lot — the dominant pattern across most of the town
2. Hamlet Residential / Medium Lot — clustered residential in Point Breeze and along Route 98
3. Lake Side Residential — the shoreline pattern, with waterfront-specific standards

Key tensions

• Aging housing stock, larger than what many buyers want
• Growing share of seasonal / waterfront housing
• Limited rental options for young families and seniors downsizing
• Balance between accommodating growth and preserving open space

Look at the map

See the draft FLUM in the Documents library for how residential classifications are proposed to sit across the town.

What we heard at Workshop #1 (Sept 23, 2026)

• Housing options are an emerging concern — participants named a lack of housing and want ADUs, senior housing, and affordable housing allowed in Town.
• At the same time, participants do not want many more large housing developments, and felt the draft FLUM may dedicate too much land to housing.
• Short-term rental regulations were raised under the local economy priority.

Source: G/FLRPC notes from the September 23, 2026 public workshop (~40 participants). See the full workshop recap.