Along the Crystal Coast, a waterfront community is being built that is designed to personify gracious living in a waterfront environment. Cannonsgate is located on possibly the widest and most attractive section of Bogue Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway, making it an ideal community for boat enthusiasts and water lovers. Dotted with magnolias and live oaks, the 272-acre property boasts man-made lakes, preserved wetlands and marshes, a new marina and gorgeous views in every direction.

Whether you love the beach, sailing, nature walks or simply the serene tranquility of a gated community, Cannonsgate at Bogue Sound offers something of interest. What makes it unique is the development’s intense dedication to maintaining and preserving the unspoiled natural beauty of delicate ecosystems within the development, including salt marshes and delicate wetlands that are home to regional wildlife.

We recently talked to Sandy Futral of Bluewater GMAC, Broker-in-Charge of Cannonsgate and Chuck Carlisle, the Construction Coordinator for the preferred builders at Cannonsgate. They were lavish in their praise of this newly designed, evolving community.

“Cannonsgate is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity on the Crystal Coast. No other development offers this amazing variety of home sites combined with upscale living and thoughtful design. They have created a gated community that offers the best of both worlds – all of the modern conveniences in a community that will have a warm, friendly, old-world feeling. When you consider the amazing natural beauty that’s here, there’s just nothing else like it.”

“There are 525 home sites at Cannonsgate. Many are currently in the planning stages, with our preferred builders putting together plans for some of the most beautiful homes you’ll see on the Carolina Coast. We plan to have a few custom home models beginning this spring that will give visitors a taste of what they can expect in a Cannonsgate home, from custom floor plans to top of the line appliances and wrap-around porches. We hope to have fifteen to eighteen custom homes under construction by summer of 2008.”

A Pristine Water World

One of the distinctive offerings at Cannonsgate is the generous selection of waterfront homes. Approximately seventy percent of the homes have a premium water view with the remaining homes backing up or overlooking wetlands or protected natural marsh areas. The combination of Sound, Intracoastal, Marina, Marsh/Wetland and Lake home sites is not found anywhere else in a gated North Carolina community.

The sites fronting on Bogue Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway offer some of the finest views in the region. Deep parcels lay along the shore with long plots perfectly suited to homes with extensive back yards or enclosed gardens. These lots offer opportunities for fishing or simply watching the world sail by.

Boat owners will appreciate the Marina homes lying along the recently completed 75 slip marina, scheduled to open this summer. With the docks just steps away from back doors, the Marina home sites are ideal for families who live for boating life and are designed to maximize social interaction.

Sherrell Futral and Woody Warren, owners of Bluewater GMAC Real Estate and Bluewater Builders (one of the preferred building companies), stated, “We’re very proud of the Marina and the recently completed boat launching area, particularly since it’s so difficult to get approval of a boat launch within a community. You have to be very careful to minimize stress to the environment and absolutely focused on the highest quality of design and construction in order to receive regulatory approval for a launch. The developer, Gary Allen, president and founder of Waterfront Communities, Inc. and president of RA North, did a phenomenal job incorporating the marina and boat launching area into this community.”

Marsh and Wetlands home sites feature access to some of the richest wildlife in the area. Cannonsgate was painstakingly designed to preserve the natural state of the wetlands and marshes while offering home owners unparalleled views of the wonderful flora and fauna thriving there. You can go crabbing and shrimping in the marshes while catching site of majestic birds such as egrets and herons that thrive there.

The final option, Lake home sites, offers a variety of sites, some quite large, at the back end of Cannonsgate. These plots are slightly larger and, although not right on the water or marina, are still just a short walk from everything. To provide the advantages of being on the water to these land-locked home sites, RA North developed nine man-made lakes. Most of these feature fountains and all have been thoughtfully designed and landscaped for natural beauty.

Tremendous care and planning has gone into providing residents of Cannonsgate with unparalleled views, cool, soothing breezes and unsullied natural areas. The marshes and wetlands are accessible to all via nature trails and foot bridges designed for leisurely strolling with minimal impact on the environment. Tall shade trees, including richly scented magnolias and sparkling water lie in all directions at Cannonsgate.

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The full article appears in the print edition of North Carolina Coastal Homes & Design magazine.