Living in Florida's Space Coast
The Plantation
The Plantation is the newest and the most expensive of the established South Merritt Island neighborhoods, entered at Carriage Lane off South Courtenay Parkway. Homes went up between 2000 and 2004 on roughly four tenths of an acre each, running 2,574 to 4,000 square feet. Eight of the nine have a screened pool, and the association has been incorporated since 1998.
The Plantation In Merritt Island, Florida
Carriage Lane is the single entrance, turning west off South Courtenay Parkway roughly four miles south of the State Road 520 causeway. From there the roads are Southern Oaks Drive, Heritage Circle and Maple Ridge Drive. The whole neighborhood is 32952 and all of it is detached single family. Oaks were left standing when the lots were cleared, which gives the streets a canopy that most South Merritt Island plats of the same decade never got.
These are large houses by island standards. Living area runs 2,574 to 4,000 square feet with 3,059 in the middle, three to five bedrooms, two to four baths, and a three car garage on most. Lots span 0.37 to 0.52 acres with 0.43 typical. Construction is block with stucco under shingle roofs. About half are single story and half are two story, so the streetscape has real variety rather than one repeated elevation.
The outdoor living is the point. Eight of the nine homes have an in-ground pool, seven of them under a screen enclosure, and five of those pools are solar heated. Three have an outdoor kitchen and three have a waterfall feature. Storm shutters are installed on five homes and several carry an owned security system. Circular drives, tray ceilings and pocket sliders to the lanai show up repeatedly, which is what custom construction in 2001 looked like here.
The Plantation Homeowners Association of Merritt Island, Inc. has been registered with the Florida Division of Corporations since September 8, 1998, filed under document number N98000005213. Dues sit near $1,074 a year, with individual properties recorded anywhere from $1,023 to $1,194 annually and one at $90 a month. Grounds maintenance for the common areas is what the money covers. This is a real association with real documents, unlike most of the older island neighborhoods.
Two things to weigh honestly. There is no navigable water here, so if you want a boat at the house this is the wrong neighborhood, and three lots that front interior water front ponds rather than a river or canal. Second, sewer is septic on eight of the nine. In exchange you get the largest and newest houses in this part of the island, at roughly $273 a square foot, with the middle sitting near $838,000.
The Plantation At A Glance
The Plantation, summarized.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | West off South Courtenay Parkway at Carriage Lane, South Merritt Island, FL 32952 |
| Built | 2000 to 2004, median 2001 |
| Home size | 2,574 to 4,000 square feet, median 3,059 |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 5, median 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 4, median 3 |
| Lot size | 0.37 to 0.52 acres, median 0.43 |
| Construction | Block and stucco, shingle roof, one and two story |
| Association | The Plantation Homeowners Association of Merritt Island, Inc., Florida document N98000005213, incorporated September 8, 1998. Dues about $1,074 a year |
| Association covers | Common area grounds maintenance |
| Utilities | Public water, septic sewer |
| Pools | 8 of 9 homes, 7 screened, 5 solar heated |
| Waterfront | 3 lots front interior water. No navigable river or canal frontage |
| Garage | 2 to 3 spaces, 3 typical |
| Price range | $600,000 to $1,090,000, median $838,000 |
| Price per square foot | About $273 |
| Streets | Carriage Lane, Southern Oaks Drive, Heritage Circle, Maple Ridge Drive |
| Age restricted | No |
The Plantation Details
The Oak Canopy
Mature live oaks were preserved through the streets and across many of the lots. It is the single feature that separates The Plantation visually from newer subdivisions cleared flat. Expect leaf litter, shade on the roof and a lower cooling load in August.
Three Car Garages As The Norm
Most homes here were built with three bays, which is unusual on Merritt Island. That extra bay handles a workshop, a golf cart or the hurricane supplies that otherwise eat a spare bedroom closet.
Screened Pools With Solar Heat
Seven of the nine pools sit under a cage and five run solar heat panels on the roof. Ask when the panels were last replaced and whether the cage screening survived the last two seasons, because both are common deferred items.
A Funded, Registered Association
Filed with the State of Florida in 1998 and still active, with annual dues near $1,074 covering common ground maintenance. Read the documents before you write, because The Plantation enforces more than the older island neighborhoods do.
Buy It For The House, Not The Boat
There is no navigable frontage in the neighborhood. The upside is you are not carrying a seawall, a dock permit or waterfront insurance. Kelly Park East and the Kiwanis Island ramp handle the boat when you want it on the water.
A Quieter South End Commute
South Courtenay Parkway runs straight to the Pineda Causeway, which is the fastest way to the Melbourne side of the county. That routing makes The Plantation work for people who need to be south of the island most days.
Homes For Sale In The Plantation
Available homes in The Plantation right now. There are only a handful of houses in the neighborhood, so inventory is thin and it moves in bursts.
The Plantation Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Plantation in Merritt Island?
It sits on South Merritt Island in the 32952 ZIP code, entered at Carriage Lane off South Courtenay Parkway about four miles south of the State Road 520 causeway. Southern Oaks Drive, Heritage Circle and Maple Ridge Drive make up the interior.
Is The Plantation a gated community?
No. Carriage Lane is an open entrance with no gate house or gate arm. Several individual homes carry owned security systems, but access to the neighborhood itself is not restricted.
What are the HOA dues at The Plantation?
Around $1,074 a year for most homes, with recorded amounts ranging from $1,023 to $1,194 annually and one property carried at $90 monthly. The association covers common area grounds maintenance.
Who runs the association?
The Plantation Homeowners Association of Merritt Island, Inc., registered with the Florida Division of Corporations on September 8, 1998, under document number N98000005213. It remains an active Florida corporation and is governed by recorded covenants.
When were the homes built?
Between 2000 and 2004, with 2001 in the middle. That makes The Plantation one of the newest established neighborhoods on Merritt Island and puts most of the houses under post 1994 wind codes.
Is there water access from The Plantation?
Not from the homes. Three lots front interior water, but there is no navigable canal or river frontage in the neighborhood and no community dock. Public ramps at Kiwanis Island and Kelly Park East are the practical options.
What do homes cost here?
From about $600,000 to just under $1,100,000, with the middle near $838,000 and roughly $273 a square foot. Lot position, pool condition and whether the home is one or two story account for most of the range.
Are homes on septic or public sewer?
Eight of the nine are on septic with public water. Have the tank and drainfield inspected and located, especially if you plan to expand the lanai, add a slab or put in additional hardscape.
Carriage Lane off South Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island 32952
Coming south from the State Road 520 causeway, stay on South Courtenay Parkway for about four miles and Carriage Lane appears on the right. Coming north from the Pineda Causeway you can reach it either on South Courtenay Parkway or by way of South Tropical Trail and cutting east. The neighborhood occupies the block between the two north-south roads, which keeps through traffic out of the interior streets.
South Merritt Island puts you closer to the Melbourne end of the county than to the Cape. The Pineda Causeway is around fifteen minutes south, which opens Suntree, Viera and the Interstate 95 interchange. Cocoa Beach is roughly twenty minutes northeast across the 520 causeway. Port Canaveral runs about thirty minutes, Kennedy Space Center about forty, and Orlando International Airport around an hour.
Near The Plantation In Merritt Island
Considering The Plantation?
With so few houses in The Plantation, one sale can move the whole picture, and the covenants here matter more than they do elsewhere on the island. My partner Nichole and I will read the association documents with you and tell you what the pool cage, the solar panels and the septic really need. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
Custom-built 2002 pool home in one of South Merritt Island's top communities. Extensive tile flooring, tray ceilings, and crown moldings accentuate the home's quality cra...
- 5 Beds
- 3 Baths
- 1083201 MLS
