Concessions Pry Open Gulf Gate for Medallion Home Project

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, July 29th, 2016 – The green light is on for Sarasota-based Medallion Home to convert the public golf course in Gulf Gate into a 108-home neighborhood. This development was unanimously approved by the Sarasota County Commission in July 2016 after resolving the strong opposition from the Gulf Gate Community Association.

The local residents’ group earlier vehemently opposed the project because it was planned as an isolated development that would wind through the Gulf Gate community and build six gates with private streets. Some homeowners also expressed concern about increased vehicular traffic and also that losing the golf course would diminish the value of their properties.

Gated Feature Abandoned

The community association, nonetheless, relented in its opposition after the Medallion Home plan was amended. Under the negotiated amendments, the new neighborhood will have no gates and its streets will be public.

These measures, in effect, will make the new homes part of the larger community of Gulf Gate. It was also agreed upon that current Gulf Gate residents can drive or walk through the new Medallion Home neighborhoods. Notably, this planned Gulf Gate neighborhood will be Medallion Home’s only non-gated development in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties, allowing residents of the surrounding neighborhoods to have open and free vehicular and pedestrian access.

Retaining a Friendly Character

These concessions can be viewed as a victory for the preservation of the Gulf Gate’s character as “a community of good neighbors.” Known for their friendly atmosphere, the community’s various neighborhoods are home to an eclectic mix of working professionals, snowbirds, retirees, and young families who favor the desirable schools in and around Gulf Gate.

There are also some investors who have seen opportunities in the diverse choices and affordable price points of Sarasota homes for sale in Gulf Gate. The subdivisions in this community are composed of neighborhood clusters of single family homes, villas, and condo townhouses.

Healthy Sales Trend

Market activity is on an uptick in this community, particularly for single family homes at its Gulf Gate Woods neighborhood where 16 homes were sold in the past six months at price tags in the $200s and $300s. As of mid-July 2016, there are 10 Sarasota homes for sale in this subdivision, one of which is a new listing for three-bedroom home with a floor area approaching 2,200 square feet and a tag price in the $400s.

Even lower price points could be found at the Gulf Gate Gardens, a neighborhood of condo townhouses off South Beneva Road just a short distance south of the community’s newly built modern public library. The townhouses in this neighborhood are typically priced in the $100s, featuring two bedrooms and two baths within floor areas ranging from 914 to 1,257 square feet.

Villas with Neighborhood Amenities

Maintenance-included and affordably priced villas, on the other hand, dominate much of Bispham Road, which would be the main access for the Medallion Home neighborhood. These villa subdivisions feature residences within quiet wooded parcels, with a couple of them developed for age 55-plus residents—Woodside Terrace and Woodside Village West.

The typical listings of Sarasota homes for sale in these neighborhoods are two-bedroom residences with floor plans of between 1,000 and 1,350 square feet and price tags in the $100s and $200s. Some amenities are also provided to their residents, such as a pool and a clubhouse. Although the Gulf Gate public golf course has already been closed, there are some nearby links, such as those in the neighboring Palmer Ranch offering reasonably priced club memberships.

With all these Gulf Gate community features, the marketing folks at Medallion Home would certainly be pleased as well. Their new neighborhood in Gulf Gate, after all, won’t need much of a hard sell as it previously did amongst local residents.