Here is the waterfront homesite that takes the hardest part of building off your plate. Located at 8528 Santa Cruz Dr in the sought-after boating community of South Gulf Cove in Port Charlotte, this buildable canal lot comes with an 80 FOOT CONCRETE SEAWALL already installed in 2023. That single detail is worth pausing on. A new seawall of this length is an expense that can approach $50,000 in today's market, and beyond the money, sparing you the months of engineering, permitting, marine contractor scheduling, and construction. That work is already finished, permitted, and behind you, so you can move straight to designing your home.
The lot spans .23 acres, a full 10,000 square feet, measuring 80 feet of road and canal frontage by 125 feet deep, with public water and public sewer available to build. Zoned RSF-3.5, Charlotte County's residential single-family district, the property is designated for a single-family detached home, which may include an attached guest suite. RSF-3.5 permits building heights up to 38 feet and allowing as much as 4,000 square feet of coverage on a parcel this size, with typical setbacks of 25 feet in front, 7.5 feet on the sides, and 20 feet from the water. That leaves a generous building envelope, with plenty of room for a large home paired with a screened lanai and a pool oasis positioned right along the canal, exactly the kind of layout Florida waterfront living was made for. Buyers should verify exact setbacks and site plan requirements with Charlotte County before finalizing home plans. Adding to the appeal, this property is NOT located in a Scrub Jay review area, and the National Wetland Inventory mapper shows NO wetlands on site.
South Gulf Cove is one of Southwest Florida's premier boating communities, built around roughly 55 miles of navigable canals that connect through the community's boat lock system to Charlotte Harbor and on to the Gulf. The community's own South Gulf Cove Park features a public boat ramp, fishing, picnic areas, BBQ grills, and a playground, while San Domingo Park is a short drive away with fishing, a fitness trail, a nature trail, and open green space.
Golfers are spoiled for choice, with Rotonda Golf and Country Club and its five distinct courses, the Palms, Pinemoor, Hills, Links, and Long Marsh, only minutes away, plus many more highly rated courses nearby. The beautiful beaches of Englewood Beach and Boca Grande are roughly 15 to 20 minutes away, and coastal restaurants, grocery stores, and shops for everyday needs are all a short drive from your door. Sports fans have Charlotte Sports Park, spring training home of the Tampa Bay Rays, and CoolToday Park in Wellen Park, spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, both within an easy drive for Spring Training baseball every year. I-75 is approximately 25 to 30 minutes away for easy travel north and south throughout the state, and Fort Myers International Airport (RSW) is roughly an hour away.
