Gulf Beaches Real Estate
The St. George Island Gulf Beaches consists of five “Units”, each of which is further subdivided into Blocks and Lots.
Unit 1 (East and West) was originally platted and recorded on September 9, 1952. You drive right into the middle of Unit 1 as you come off the bridge and find yourself on Franklin Boulevard. To your left is Unit 1 East, and to your right is Unit 1 West. The first three blocks both east and west are zoned commercial, despite the fact that the Franklin County has allowed some residential uses in the commercial area. The commercial lots are typically 25 feet wide by 135 feet deep, with variations such as 25′ x 275′ Beach Front commercial lots and 25’x100” lots located across the street from the Beach. West of West 3rd Street to West 7th Street, and East of East 3rd Street to East 6th Street, is zoned residential, as is almost all of the rest of the island. Lot sizes are typically 100 feet on the road frontage and run 175 feet deep with only minor deviations from this size on a few lots. The lots across the street from the beach in this area are referred to as “Street to Street” lots as they run from Gorrie Drive (The Beach Road) and Gulf Beach Drive, the main Island road. You will see many older ground level homes in this area, which are “grand fathered” in. New building codes require houses to be built on pilings. The combination of lower density created by the Street-to-Street lots and better views afforded by ground level houses make the few remaining empty lots in this area highly prized.
Unit 2 (East) and Unit 3 (West) were both platted and recorded on February 15, 1956. These two areas are almost mirror images of each other. By driving your car east between 6th Street East to 11th then turning right on 11th and heading back west on Gorrie to East 6th street again, you will have cruised the entirety of Unit 2. Similarly, starting at 7th Street West, and heading west to 12th Street, turning right and heading back east on Gorrie Dr., you will have traversed all of Unit 3 when you get back to 7th St. West. Almost all of the lots in Unit 2 and Unit 3 are 100 feet by 150 feet deep, which works out to be very close to 1/3rd acre, which is generally the size of most lots throughout the “Gulf Beaches”.
Units 1, 2, and 3 have the bike path running along the south side of Gulf Beach Dr. There is not much traffic on Gorrie Dr., so runners, walkers and bikers have over 8 miles of safe paths to traverse. Of course the main attraction of Units 1, 2, and 3 is the easy access to the Beach afforded by 80-100 foot wide Beach access points at the ends of all the numbered Streets, and the 6′ to 8′ foot access paths between every Beachfront lot/house. Because all of the lots are so close to the Gulf, there are great Gulf Views from almost every house in Units 1, 2,& 3.
Unit 4 (East) was platted and recorded on April 15, 1960. The original platted area was much larger than what you see today. The State of Florida bought most of the bay front area of Unit 4, making the lots that back up to the “State Land” more valuable than other lots on Pine Ave. and Bay Shore Dr. The State owned land behind Unit 4 has a good deal of pristine wetland areas, but the intrepid hiker can traverse some of the most beautiful bay front areas found anywhere in Florida, right out the back door of many lots in Unit 4. Unit 4 runs between 6th Street East and 11th Street East with the majority of the lots being on either side of East Pine Ave.
Unit 5 (West) was also platted and recorded on April 15, 1960. This sprawling area on the Bayside of the West side of the Gulf Beaches is typified by miles of lime rock roads that meander around to such an extent that many people get lost as they are exploring, or trying to find a friends house. This area of the Island claims some of the best deep-water (a relative term) channels found on St. George Island. There are seven canals, most of which were man made, that increase the number of lots that can sport a boat dock. The prices of the waterfront lots are, as expected, more expensive, but this area also has the least expensive Interior, Bay view, and Gulf view lots on the Island. The peaceful nature of some of the interior areas of Unit 5 attract hermits, artists, Pet owners, and folks looking for a second home where they can truly get away from it all. The close proximity to the Beach and Bay provide Unit 5 homeowners an outstanding value at relatively low prices.